HB 676 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO YOUTH AND ADULT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

Summary

Requires the State's youth and adult correctional facilities to provide free and accessible voice communication services for incarcerated persons in state correctional facilities. Prohibits any state agency from deriving revenue or financial benefit from the provision of communication services to persons confined in state correctional facilities. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish service quality standards and rules for the free voice communication services. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB676 → HB676_HD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill version updates the effective date to July 1, 2030, and adjusts the reporting deadline for the Public Utilities Commission to the 2027 legislative session. It also removes specific funding amounts for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, leaving the appropriation amounts blank for future determination.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the requirement for free communication services and the prohibition on revenue generation remains unchanged; however, the timeline for implementation and reporting has been extended.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2030.

The deadline for the Public Utilities Commission to submit its report was moved from the 2026 legislative session to the 2027 legislative session.

FISCAL

Specific dollar amounts for appropriations in fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 were removed and replaced with blank lines, indicating the amounts are yet to be determined.

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 PBS/HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 227-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Hartsfield, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Amato.

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to PBS/HSH, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

10 primary · 0 co-sponsors