This document is a formal notification from the Governor of Hawaii to the legislature confirming that HB2094, known as Act 126, was signed into law on June 24, 2026. The bill directly affects jurors and prospective jurors by increasing their daily compensation for court attendance from a previous amount to $50. It also establishes a mileage reimbursement system where individuals receive either 33 cents per mile traveled or the cost of an adult bus fare, whichever is higher, even if they are later excused from service. To fund these increased payments, the state appropriates $684,385 from general revenues for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used by the judiciary. The new provisions regarding payment and reimbursement are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill, signed into law by the Governor of Hawaii on June 24, 2026, limits the maximum prison sentence for nonviolent misdemeanor offenses to 364 days instead of one year. It applies to crimes that are not classified as crimes of violence and allows individuals sentenced before the law takes effect to request a review of their sentences to reflect this new cap. The legislation also updates the sentencing guidelines for courts, ensuring that judges cannot impose more than 364 days of imprisonment for these specific minor offenses unless the crime involves violence.
This bill updates Hawaii's laws regarding the reporting of fetal deaths to improve data accuracy and reduce administrative burdens on families and health providers. It establishes a minimum gestational age of twenty weeks or a weight of 350 grams as the threshold for mandatory filing of a fetal death certificate, excluding earlier miscarriages and certain terminated pregnancies. The legislation also extends the time limit for submitting these reports from three days to fourteen days to allow for more thorough investigation of causes and clarifies the requirements for permits needed to dispose of fetal remains. These changes aim to create a more reliable dataset that can help address high rates of fetal death among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders while respecting the privacy and healing needs of grieving families.
This bill, signed into law as Act 139, updates the specific land identification numbers used in a 2022 law that transferred public school land from the counties of Kauai and Maui to the Hawaii Department of Education. The primary mechanism involves correcting tax map key numbers in the existing statute to reflect current circumstances, ensuring the legal description of the properties remains accurate. These adjustments apply to specific parcels designated for schools such as Eleele Elementary, Waimea High, and Baldwin High, while maintaining the original intent of the transfer. The legislation clarifies that the transfer is effective as of July 1, 2022, and explicitly waives any future claims or liabilities related to the condition of the land.
This bill, signed into law on June 24, 2026, streamlines the workers' compensation process in Hawaii by allowing attending physicians to automatically request functional capacity examinations without needing prior approval from insurance companies or employers. These examinations are designed to assess an injured worker's physical abilities and determine their capacity to return to work with or without accommodations once they have reached medical stabilization. The law also expands the definition of qualified health care providers to include various specialists and ensures that employers cover the costs of these exams while requiring timely reporting of results to both the physician and the employer.
This bill, known as Act 128, establishes a new criminal offense for intentionally damaging or destroying trees located on state or county property in Hawaii. It directly affects individuals who cut down or injure trees on public land without permission, classifying such actions as a misdemeanor. Under the new law, offenders must pay the replacement value of the damaged tree, an amount determined by a certified arborist. The legislation also specifies that the destruction must occur through means other than fire to constitute a violation. This measure takes effect immediately upon the Governor's approval.
This bill establishes a five-year pilot program creating a dedicated office of the state construction manager to oversee and improve the design review of state construction projects. The program will hire a full-time professional construction manager who must have at least five years of relevant experience and is prohibited from engaging in private practice while serving in this role. The office will provide centralized design review services for state projects with a value of $2 million or more located in counties with populations under 500,000, ensuring compliance with accessibility laws and assigning specific inspectors and county employees to monitor construction and permit applications. Fees collected for these design review services will be deposited into a special fund to support the program's operations, with any remaining funds at the end of the fiscal year staying in the fund until the pilot program concludes.
This bill, known as Act 140, requires cemeteries, crematories, funeral homes, hydrolysis facilities, and mortuaries in Hawaii to dispose of human remains within sixty days of either receiving a permit or submitting an affidavit to amend a permit. The law also allows the state Department of Health to create additional rules to support this timeline but does not mandate that specific disposal dates be listed on permits. By setting a clear deadline for the final disposition of remains, the legislation aims to streamline the handling of human remains across various service providers.
This bill clarifies the requirements for Hawaii's harm to students registry, which is a database maintained by the Department of Education to track employees who have harmed students. It specifies that the registry will include details such as the employee's name, date of birth, photograph, address, and the reporting institution. To ensure fairness, the law mandates that investigations leading to a registry listing must follow strict due process steps, including an independent investigator, opportunities for both parties to share information, representation for the accused, and a reasoned final finding based on evidence. Additionally, the bill requires institutions to share information about ongoing or completed investigations regarding harm to students with other schools in the state.
This bill directs the Governor to inform the legislature that it has signed Act 133 into law, which establishes a new role within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to support individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs. The legislation creates a position for a disability integration specialist to ensure disaster planning and response comply with federal and state laws, addressing past gaps in shelter accessibility and communication identified during the 2023 Maui wildfires. By appropriating funds for this role, the act aims to improve equity in emergency services for people who may face barriers such as mobility issues or the need for American Sign Language interpretation.
This bill, Act 138, authorizes the University of Hawaii to operate teaching laboratories that function as active businesses for student training without being hindered by county zoning laws or special use permit requirements. The legislation defines these "enterprise-related activities" as structured, educational operations like teaching hotels or culinary centers that provide hands-on, real-world experience and are secondary to the university's primary academic mission. While the university is exempt from certain land use regulations, it must still comply with all state and county safety, building, and health codes, and any revenue generated must be used to support the university's facilities and student scholarships.
This bill prohibits Hawaii state and county law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with federal immigration authorities or engaging in immigration enforcement activities. It directly affects police departments, sheriff's offices, and correctional facilities by restricting their ability to detain individuals based on federal immigration hold requests or transfer them to federal custody. The law also prevents these agencies from asking about a person's citizenship status unless it is directly connected to a criminal investigation and bars them from sharing non-public personal information with federal immigration officials for immigration purposes. These measures aim to build trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities by ensuring that local police do not get involved in federal immigration enforcement.
