Hawaii Bills

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2607: RELATING TO PUBLICITY RIGHTS.

HB 2607 protects individuals' right to publicity by prohibiting the unauthorized use of a person's likeness or voice in AI-generated deepfakes. The bill directly affects people whose image, voice, or persona could be replicated without consent through artificial intelligence. Its key provision bans creating or distributing AI-generated content that mimics a person's identity for commercial or public purposes without permission. This creates a clear legal barrier against non-consensual deepfake exploitation, focusing on preventing harm rather than regulating AI technology broadly.

Topics ✓ Technology

Adrian Tam (D) Kanani Souza (R) Elijah Pierick (R) Nicole Lowen (D) Julie Reyes Oda (R)

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2573: RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes a five-year agriculture and biosecurity workforce development pilot program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii's Leeward Community College, Department of Human Resources Development, and Department of Law Enforcement. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2517: RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION.

Establishes a statewide framework for the assessment and the award of academic credit for prior learning acquired through military service, workforce training, apprenticeships, professional certifications, and other structured learning experiences outside of traditional classrooms.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Veterans

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2625: RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes the Vacant and Blighted Residential Property Redevelopment Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Appropriates funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2562: RELATING TO WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS.

Establishes statewide health care worker safety and workplace violence prevention requirements for health care facilities. Requires enforcement by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in coordination with the Department of Health.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2500: RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Beginning 1/1/2027, requires a developer of an algorithmic decision system to provide certain disclosures to a deployer and an individual who is or will be affected by a decision made, informed, or influenced by the algorithmic decision system. Provides certain rights and procedures for individuals to access and correct data used by an algorithmic decision system. Requires disclosure requirements for generative artificial intelligence systems. Provides that a developer and deployer of an algorithmic decision system are jointly and severally liable for a violation of any law that results from the deployer's use of the developer's system, under certain conditions. Assigns enforcement responsibilities to the attorney general, including establishing rules.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2596: RELATING TO PLANTS.

Requires persons who sell or offer plants for sale at retail to provide information on the risk of invasiveness of the plant species. Requires the Invasive Species Council to develop a labeling system for plants that displays the plants' weed risk assessments. Establishes fines for violations. Effective 1/1/2027.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2499: RELATING TO DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.

Requires the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to coordinate the development and maintenance of statewide standards for the collection, management, and reporting of race and ethnicity demographic data by any state or county department, agency, board, or commission. Focuses the use of collected demographic data on areas of public interest and establishes transparency and accountability requirements regarding artificial intelligence systems associated with the collected data. Requires state and county departments, agencies, boards, and commissions that collect race and ethnicity data to report to the Office of Enterprise Technology Services on meeting federal data collection requirements. Appropriates funds.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 1866: RELATING TO COUNTY LABOR STANDARDS.

Authorizes the counties to require contractors to disclose information regarding their employees' wages, benefits, hours, and employment status. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Feb 6, 2026

SB 2836: RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OF RETIRANTS.

Establishes a 5-year pilot program to authorize the Department of Education to rehire retired teachers and educational officers for hard-to-staff positions.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2209: RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Requires health insurance carriers to honor a patient's written assignment of benefits to a substance use disorder treatment provider. Prohibits health insurance contracts from including anti-assignment clauses that restrict or invalidate a patient's right to assign benefits. Authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to adopt rules and take enforcement action to ensure compliance. Requires the Insurance Commissioner to publish an annual summary. Allows providers to bring civil actions to compel payment and obtain injunctive relief, damages, interest, and attorneys' fees for violations. Deems violations to be unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Requires insurers to furnish an explanation of benefits to the assigned provider upon request.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2269: RELATING TO THE MOTION PICTURE, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND FILM PRODUCTION INCOME TAX CREDIT.

Increases the qualified production credit from twenty-two per cent to twenty-seven per cent in any county of the State with a population of over seven hundred thousand and twenty-seven per cent to thirty-two per cent in any county of the State with a population of less than seven hundred thousand. Lifts the per production cap of $17,000,000 for productions with qualified expenditures of $60,000,000 per project. Increases the annual cap to $60,000,000 from $50,000,000 for the total amount of the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit allowed under section 235-17, HRS, and extends the sunset date of the tax credit to January 1, 2038. Clarifies and amends the requirement for an independent third-party certification and expands the definition of "qualified production" to include streaming platforms for the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit. Includes a definition of "streaming platform".

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

Bill results