SB 2461 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO VOTER INFORMATION.

Summary

Requires the Office of Elections to prepare a questionnaire to which candidates may respond. Requires the Office of Elections to publish any responses provided by a candidate on its website and in the digital voter information guide no later than eighteen days before a primary election. Effective 1/1/2027. (SD1)

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2026 Last action Feb 20, 2026

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What changed between versions

SB2461 → SB2461_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a House bill (HB) to a Senate District 1 bill (SD1), updating metadata and timestamps. The core policy was significantly simplified by removing specific requirements for candidates to answer questions about taxes, budget items, and school rankings. Instead, the bill now mandates that the Office of Elections provide a questionnaire with only three specific, open-ended questions regarding legislative priorities, committee preferences, and a ten-year vision, while making candidate responses entirely optional.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding candidate obligations was narrowed from requiring detailed policy positions on specific topics to allowing optional responses to three general questions.

REQUIREMENT

Removed mandatory requirements for candidates to answer questions about tax policy, budget items, and school rankings.

Replaced the list of specific policy questions with three new, open-ended questions: legislative priorities, committee preferences, and a ten-year vision.

Changed candidate responses from a mandatory requirement to an optional choice for candidates.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill metadata, including the bill type from SB to SD1, and revised effective dates and revision numbers.

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

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2502) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-06-26 9:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to JDC, WAM.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors