SB 361 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH COURT.

Summary

Permanently establishes and appropriates funds for the Community Outreach Court as a division of the District Court of the First Circuit. Effective 4/23/2057. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB361_SD1 → SB361_SD2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision updates the Community Outreach Court's operational rules and funding structure. It broadens the definition of who can prosecute cases in the court to include the Attorney General's office, clarifies that the court can be held at any location designated by a judge rather than a specific one, and shifts the responsibility for funding from the Attorney General to the Judiciary.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include the Attorney General's office as a potential participant in plea negotiations, and the court's physical location requirements were relaxed to allow any judge-designated site within the circuit.

DEFINITION

Added the Attorney General and their deputies to the list of officials authorized to prosecute cases in the Community Outreach Court.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the rule for holding court sessions from requiring a 'duly designated location' to allowing any location designated by a judge.

Updated the plea agreement process to remove the requirement that the Attorney General must enter negotiations, leaving it solely to the Prosecuting Attorney.

FISCAL

Transferred the appropriation responsibility for the court's operations from the Department of the Attorney General to the Judiciary.

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

Mar 18, 2025

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1331) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 144) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Mar 4, 2025

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

Feb 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-26-25 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 152) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Jan 30, 2025

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

Jan 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 01-30-25 9:15AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to JDC, WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 14, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

5 primary · 3 co-sponsors