This bill requires Hawaii to add a special designation to the vehicle registration of deaf drivers to alert law enforcement officers during electronic checks. The system will display an international symbol for deafness or a specific code when an officer accesses the vehicle's information, helping to prevent dangerous misunderstandings during traffic stops. To qualify for this designation, a driver must provide certification from a licensed medical professional confirming their hearing loss meets specific decibel thresholds. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027, and restricts access to this information to authorized personnel only.
This bill prohibits companies that make smart home security devices from sharing user data with law enforcement unless specific conditions are met. Data sharing is only allowed if the user gives written consent, a judge issues a warrant, or an immediate emergency involving imminent death or serious bodily harm exists. The law also bans companies from forcing users to agree to data sharing as a requirement to use their devices. Violations of these rules can result in penalties and legal action by the state attorney general, but private individuals cannot sue under this specific section.
This bill, signed into law as Act 237, strengthens legal protections for public servants in Hawaii by creating a specific misdemeanor offense for harassment directed at them during their official duties. It directly affects government employees, law enforcement officers, and anyone subject to threats or harassment while performing their jobs. The key provision amends existing harassment laws to ensure that acts intended to disrupt public service are treated more seriously than general harassment, addressing concerns that current penalties were insufficient to deter such behavior. By elevating these specific threats to a misdemeanor, the law aims to provide clearer legal recourse and better safeguard the safety and effectiveness of public service.
This bill establishes a new legal framework in Hawaii allowing individuals to sue for civil damages if their private intimate images are shared without consent. It defines intimate images as photos or videos showing a person in a state of undress or engaged in sexual conduct and protects these images even if they were taken in public places, provided the person did not agree to the exposure. The law creates specific exceptions where sharing is allowed, such as for law enforcement, medical treatment, reporting illegal activity, or matters of public interest. Additionally, parents and guardians are generally shielded from liability for sharing images of their children unless the sharing was explicitly prohibited by other laws.
This bill establishes uniform statewide requirements for how state and county agencies issue U and T visa certifications to noncitizen victims of crime and human trafficking. It mandates that all authorized certifying entities, such as law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and judges, adopt consistent policies and processes for verifying victim assistance. By creating these standardized procedures, the legislation aims to ensure that victims across the state have equal access to federal immigration relief programs. The law defines key roles, including certifying officials, and clarifies the specific forms and criteria needed for these certifications. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate inconsistent practices that may have previously hindered victims from obtaining necessary legal protections.
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.
This bill, signed into law on June 25, 2026, requires state and county law enforcement agencies in Hawaii to inform individuals in custody about their rights before any federal immigration interview regarding civil immigration violations can begin. Under the new rules, officers must provide a free, written consent form in accessible languages that explains the individual's right to remain silent, their right to have an attorney present, and the voluntary nature of the interview. The form allows the person to choose whether to decline the interview entirely or proceed only with their lawyer, and it clearly marks their decision. Additionally, the bill designates all records showing that federal immigration authorities accessed a detained individual as public records, increasing transparency around these interactions.
This bill, signed into law as Act 150, updates Hawaii's rules for keeping biological evidence after a criminal conviction to address storage challenges caused by overly broad requirements. It limits mandatory retention to serious felony cases where the defendant's identity was genuinely disputed and DNA testing could help identify or exclude the perpetrator. For cases where the identity was not contested or biological material was unlikely, the bill allows law enforcement to dispose of evidence with court approval, even before all appeals are finished. Additionally, the law provides defendants a formal opportunity to object to the disposal of evidence and grants courts the authority to order retention under specific circumstances.
This bill, signed into law by the Governor on June 26, 2026, requires that protective orders issued in Hawaii be shared with military security forces when the person subject to the order is a service member. The law mandates that court clerks send copies of these orders to local police and the appropriate military investigative divisions within 24 hours. Additionally, it establishes a requirement for local law enforcement to create verification systems and develop joint training programs with military branches to improve communication and response. These measures aim to enhance safety and accountability for victims of domestic violence involving military personnel while maintaining confidentiality and due process.
This bill informs the Hawaii Legislature that the Governor signed Act 107 into law on June 8, 2026. The legislation requires all new law enforcement officers hired after June 30, 2028, to complete specific training in areas such as de-escalation, mental health response, and implicit bias before being employed. Additionally, the law mandates that these officers must receive official certification from the state board starting July 1, 2028, unless they have completed an equivalent program in another jurisdiction. The act applies to hiring practices across various county police departments and state agencies, including the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of the Attorney General.
