Criminal Justice

SB 2249 establishes increased penalties for bribery offenses under certain circumstances. The bill specifically targets bribery by raising criminal penalties when specific conditions apply, though the abstract does not detail those conditions or identify which individuals or entities would be directly affected. Key provisions involve modifying penalty structures for bribery convictions, but the official abstract provides no further specifics on the circumstances or mechanisms. As the bill is currently pending introduction (with no committee referrals finalized), no concrete policy changes have been enacted. The summary is based solely on the provided abstract, which lacks details on affected parties or exact penalty levels.

SB 2516 creates a new penalty system for obstructing criminal investigations, directly affecting individuals who interfere with law enforcement (e.g., witnesses lying or defendants tampering with evidence). It replaces a flat penalty with a "gradient structure," meaning punishments increase based on the severity of the original crime being obstructed. For example, hindering a murder investigation would carry a harsher penalty than obstructing a minor traffic violation case. This change aims to make sentencing more proportional to the seriousness of the underlying offense.

SB 2824 creates a new misdemeanor offense for individuals who fail to report known bribery. Specifically, it requires public officials or employees who witness or learn about bribery to report it to authorities, and not doing so becomes a punishable offense. The bill directly affects government employees, contractors, and others with potential knowledge of bribery in public contexts. This policy change establishes a clear legal duty to report bribery incidents, adding a new layer of accountability to existing anti-bribery laws.

By July 1, 2027, requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop a Human Trafficking Awareness Training Program to educate and train workers in the transient accommodations sector. Requires transient accommodations employers and transient accommodations third-party contractors to periodically provide the human trafficking awareness training to certain employees and contract workers and keep records of the training. By January 1, 2028, requires transient accommodations employers and transient accommodations third-party contractors to post signage regarding human trafficking awareness. By October 1, 2027, requires transient accommodations employers and transient accommodations third-party contractors to develop and implement a human trafficking prevention policy that includes procedures for the reporting of suspected human trafficking.

Establishes as a class B felony the unlicensed performance of contractor work, during or within 5 years following a national emergency, state of emergency, or disaster proclamation, in an affected political subdivision. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Prohibits persons from operating a medical cannabis dispensary or cultivating cannabis without a license from the Department of Health. Prohibits individuals from providing certain services to individuals engaging in unlicensed cannabis operations. Requires the Department of Health to send a cease and desist notice to violators. Establishes criminal penalties. Establishes an affirmative defense for, and a conclusive basis for certain violations. Establishes exceptions. Establishes a cannabis cultivator license to authorize the cultivation and distribution of cannabis plants. Requires the Department of Health to only issue one cannabis cultivator license for each person. Establishes limits on: (1) the number of cannabis cultivator licenses the Department of Health may issue; (2) the maximum size of plant canopy for indoor and outdoor cultivations for each cannabis cultivator license; and (3) the maximum plant count of mature cannabis plants for each cannabis cultivator license. Authorizes expenditures from the Medical Cannabis Registry and Regulation Special Fund to fund programs for the mitigation and abatement of nuisances relating to chapter 329D, HRS. Appropriates funds out of the Medical Cannabis Registry and Regulation Special Fund for the Department of Attorney General to enforce, and mitigate nuisances relating to, chapter 329D, HRS. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD2)

Beginning July 1, 2025, extends the term of the Oversight Coordinator for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission. Clarifies that the Oversight Coordinator has the general authority to inspect agencies and correctional facilities without notice. (SD2)

Requires clinical psychologists employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to obtain licensure within five years from the date of employment. Sunsets on 7/1/2030. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Limits moving violations arising from the operation of a motor vehicle that appear on traffic abstracts to those that resulted in convictions. Requires the Traffic and Emergency Period Violations Bureaus to remove all dismissed moving violations not resulting in a conviction from certified abstracts. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes the right of a person to record law enforcement activities. Establishes a private right of action for any violation of the right to record law enforcement activities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)