HB 2468 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS.

Summary

Amends the private sector On-the-Job Training Work Experience Program to allow the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to contract with employers and trade organizations or apprenticeship program sponsors without regard to chapters 103D and 103F, HRS; establish that an intern may become an apprentice in a registered apprenticeship program under certain conditions; require employers to pay $20 per hour for a maximum of 40 hours per week for all interns; provide, subject to certain limits, for the reimbursement of 100% of an intern's wages for employers, trade organizations, and sponsors having fewer than 50 employees, and 50% of an intern's wages for employers, trade organizations, and sponsors having 50 or more employees; and requires sponsors to pay, supervise, and train interns. Amends the State Internship and Workforce Development Program to require experience gained by interns to be applied towards the experience needed to meet minimum qualifications for civil service positions; require the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Department of Human Resources Development to develop guidelines for participation in the program; transfer certain program responsibilities from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to the Department of Human Resources Development. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD2)

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Last action May 1, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB2468_SD1 → HB2468_SD2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This revision shifts the financial responsibility for interns from the state to private sponsors. Previously, the state reimbursed sponsors for a portion of wages; now, sponsors must pay 100% of wages for small employers and 50% for large employers, with the state reimbursing only a capped amount. The bill also expands the definition of eligible recipients to include trade organizations and clarifies that sponsors must fully manage the internship program.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include trade organizations as eligible recipients of internship funds, and the program's financial model changed from a cost-sharing arrangement to a reimbursement model based on employer size.

FISCAL

Reimbursement rates changed based on employer size: small employers (under 50 employees) receive 100% reimbursement up to $20/hour, while large employers (50 or more) receive 50% reimbursement up to $10/hour.

REQUIREMENT

Sponsors are now required to pay, supervise, and train interns directly, removing the previous requirement for the state to contribute 50% of wages.

The list of eligible recipients for wage reimbursements was updated to explicitly include trade organizations alongside employers and sponsors.

SCOPE

Trade organizations were added to the list of eligible entities that can host interns and receive state reimbursements.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 05-01-26 at 3:45PM in Conference Room 411.

lower

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 05-01-26 at 12:00PM in Conference Room 016.

lower

Apr 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 05-01-26 9:00AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-30-26 9:00AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Wednesday 04-29-26 9:00AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Tuesday 04-28-26 9:00AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Monday 04-27-26 9:00AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Friday, 04-24-26 8:45AM in conference room 016.

lower

Apr 16, 2026

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 694) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Apr 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3214) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Mar 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Ihara, Moriwaki, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to LBT, WAM.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 427).

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Hartsfield; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Perruso.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 482-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 6

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors