Labor & Employment

introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 26, 2026

GM 1245: Informing the Legislature that on June 25, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB1661 HD1 SD1 CD1 (ACT 144).

This bill is a procedural document that formally notifies the Hawaii Legislature that Governor Josh Green signed HB1661 into law on June 25, 2026. The underlying law, Act 144, amends state statutes to allow chief executives to establish cafeteria plans for their employees, enabling them to reduce pretax compensation to pay for eligible benefits. The bill specifies that the maximum contribution limits for these plans must align with federal and state tax regulations and takes effect on July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands cafeteria plans allowing employees to reduce pretax compensation for eligible benefits, enhancing worker benefits.75% confidence

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 9, 2026

GM 1211: Informing the Legislature that on June 8, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB2567 SD2 HD2 CD1 (ACT 111).

This bill informs the Hawaii Legislature that Governor Josh Green signed Act 111 into law on June 8, 2026. The act establishes a two-year pilot program allowing public employers to seek temporary restraining orders and injunctions on behalf of employees facing employment-related harassment. Under the new provision, public agencies may hire private attorneys to represent harassed employees in court, avoiding potential conflicts of interest that could arise if the Attorney General handled the cases. This change expands existing harassment protections to specifically cover the workplace environment for public sector workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill empowers public employers to protect employees from harassment via legal injunctions, directly advancing workplace safety and workers' rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 24, 2026

GM 1225: Informing the Legislature that on June 24, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB1515 HD2 SD1 CD1 (ACT 124).

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill streamlines workers' comp by allowing automatic functional capacity exams, improving patient access to necessary medical assessments and facilitating return-to-work decisions.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill streamlines workers' compensation to help injured workers return to work faster, expanding benefits and protecting worker rights.85% confidence

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 9, 2026

GM 1219: Informing the Legislature that on June 8, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB2671 SD1 HD2 CD1 (ACT 119).

This bill authorizes mayors in Hawaii counties to run four-year pilot programs designed to speed up and improve the quality of permit processing for housing and infrastructure projects. The key mechanism allows counties to designate specific permit review and processing roles as "essential permitting positions," which qualify for a minimum 15% salary differential to help attract and retain staff. Additionally, the program mandates that hiring for these critical roles be prioritized over other positions and requires job offers to be made within 14 days of an interview. Counties participating in the pilot must set aside funds to cover the extra pay, new hires, and potential performance bonuses tied to meeting specific milestones.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill streamlines permit processing and funds essential staffing to accelerate housing development and infrastructure projects.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates 'essential permitting positions' with a 15% salary differential to attract and retain staff, directly supporting labor standards and wages.85% confidence

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 9, 2026

GM 1213: Informing the Legislature that on June 8, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB99 SD1 HD1 CD1 (ACT 113).

This bill, Act 113, expands the rules for retired state and county employees in Hawaii to allow them to return to work without losing their pension benefits or having to rejoin the retirement system. It specifically permits rehiring for roles such as elective officers, jurors, part-time or temporary staff, and positions identified as difficult to fill due to high vacancy rates. To qualify for rehiring in difficult-to-fill roles, retirees must not have worked for the government in the twelve months prior to returning, and employers must contribute to the pension fund to offset the cost. The legislation also establishes specific metrics, such as a fifty percent vacancy rate, that agencies must use to officially designate a position as hard to fill.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands rehiring options for retired employees, protecting their pension benefits and addressing workforce shortages.90% confidence

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Jun 24, 2026

GM 1232: Informing the Legislature that on June 24, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB1509 HD2 SD1 CD1 (ACT 131).

This bill, known as Act 131, amends Hawaii's workers' compensation laws to streamline how doctors submit treatment plans to employers. It allows physicians to send these plans via mail, fax, or secure electronic means, with the plan considered received once transmission is confirmed. Employers must respond to the plan within ten days by accepting it or providing specific medical evidence for an objection; failure to respond is treated as acceptance and may result in a $1,000 fine. Additionally, the law permits employers to object later only if new medical evidence arises and establishes that employers denying plans without reasonable grounds must pay the injured employee's legal costs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill streamlines treatment plan submission and enforces employer response, improving patient access and administrative efficiency in healthcare.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill streamlines medical treatment plans for workers, improving access to care and reducing administrative barriers in workers' compensation.85% confidence

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate May 26, 2026

GM 1126: Informing the Legislature that on May 22, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB2272 HD1 SD1 CD1 (ACT 026).

This bill, signed into law by Governor Josh Green on May 22, 2026, provides emergency funding to the State of Hawaii for public employee compensation costs covering the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. The legislation allocates specific amounts from general and special funds to cover collective bargaining agreements for state employees in bargaining unit 11, as well as salary increases for officers and employees excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, the act funds health premium payments for these same groups and ensures that any compensation paid from federal or special funds is covered proportionately. The appropriated funds are directed to state departments for use in the respective fiscal years, with unspent money by June 30, 2027, reverting to the state treasury.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates emergency funding to cover public employee compensation and health premiums, directly strengthening state budget resources for essential services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides emergency funding for public employee compensation and collective bargaining agreements, directly supporting worker benefits and wages.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate Apr 27, 2026

GM 8: Letter dated April 23, 2026, transmitting proposed conference drafts amending S.B. No. 3090, S.D. 1, H.D. 2 and H.B. No. 2271, H.D. 2, S.D. 1 to fund the agreement deficit concerning Collective Bargaining Units 1 and 10.

This bill provides emergency funding to cover unpaid arbitration awards and settlement costs related to temporary hazard pay for public employees in specific collective bargaining units. The legislation authorizes the state to use general funds to pay these obligations while simultaneously creating a short-term loan mechanism to restore budget accounts that were previously depleted by these payments. By reclassifying and then reversing these financial entries, the bill ensures that departments can repay the loan without permanently reducing their operating budgets. The measure is designed to resolve immediate financial shortfalls caused by pandemic-era pay disputes while maintaining the executive branch's authority to negotiate labor agreements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides emergency funding to cover unpaid arbitration awards and settlement costs for public employees, directly advancing fiscal management and budget obligations.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds unpaid arbitration awards and hazard pay for public employees, directly supporting collective bargaining and worker compensation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate May 26, 2026

GM 1133: Informing the Legislature that on May 26, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB2271 HD2 SD1 CD1 (ACT 033).

This bill directs the Governor to inform the Hawaii Legislature that he signed HB2271 into law on May 26, 2026. The law provides emergency funding to resolve financial issues related to temporary hazard pay for specific state employee groups during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It authorizes the state to use these funds to restore budget accounts that were previously adjusted to cover hazard pay, ensuring departments have the necessary resources to operate. Additionally, the bill extends the expiration date for certain emergency appropriations from Act 29 until June 30, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides emergency funding to restore budget accounts for state employee hazard pay, directly strengthening fiscal management and funding essential operations.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides emergency funding to restore hazard pay for state employees, directly supporting worker compensation and benefits.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

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introduced · Hawaii · Senate May 19, 2026

GM 1113: Informing the Legislature that on May 19, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB3082 SD1 HD1 CD1 (ACT 013).

This bill, signed into law by Governor Josh Green on May 19, 2026, expands Hawaii's family leave protections to include military families. It directly affects employees who are spouses, children, siblings, parents, or other relatives of active-duty service members. The key provision adds "qualifying military exigency" as a valid reason for taking up to four weeks of unpaid family leave per year, aligning state law with federal standards. To use this leave, employees must provide their employer with official military orders as proof of the qualifying situation. The changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands family leave protections to military families, strengthening worker benefits and rights.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill expands family leave protections for military families, directly supporting veterans' employment and family welfare.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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