HB 2185 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO SPORTS OFFICIALS.

Summary

Authorizes the Department of Education to retain private counsel to represent a sports official in certain civil proceedings to obtain a temporary restraining order in response to incidences where the sports official has been assaulted or threatened in the course of legally discharging their sports official duties. Includes substantial bodily injury of a sports official engaged in the lawful discharge of the sports official's duties in the offense of assault in the first degree. Clarifies that a sports official includes a school administrator, league administrator, or athletics director. Clarifies that a sports official's duties cover sports events at public schools and private schools. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 26, 2026 Last action Feb 18, 2026

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What changed between versions

HB2185 → HB2185_HD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill shifts responsibility for representing assaulted sports officials from the Attorney General to the Department of Education, which can now hire private counsel to obtain temporary restraining orders. It also reclassifies the assault of a sports official from a second-degree to a first-degree felony if it causes substantial bodily injury and expands the definition of 'sports official' to include athletic directors and league administrators.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of protected individuals to include athletic directors and league administrators, and changes the enforcement mechanism from general civil representation to specific temporary restraining order proceedings.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the authority to represent sports officials from the Attorney General to the Department of Education, which may now retain private counsel specifically to obtain temporary restraining orders.

Upgraded the penalty for assaulting a sports official causing substantial bodily injury from a class C felony (assault in the second degree) to a class B felony (assault in the first degree).

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the definition of 'sports official' to include league administrators and athletic directors, in addition to referees, coaches, and school administrators.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the Act to July 1, 3000.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2026

Committee

Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 207-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDN, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 5

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors