SB 711 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS.

Summary

Requires any appointment of a person by the Governor to serve in the Executive Branch in the position of an advisor to be subject to the advice and consent of the Senate if that person's salary is greater than $200,000, and is not paid from the Governor's budget. Requires the Governor to transmit Governor's Messages to the Senate President containing nominations for each gubernatorial appointee who was appointed to their advisor position before the effective date of this Act and whose salary is greater than $200,000, and is not paid from the Governor's budget. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB711 → SB711_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten to change the scope of Senate confirmation requirements for gubernatorial appointments. The original version required confirmation for all executive branch appointees earning the governor's salary or a department head's salary. The new version narrows this to only 'advisors' earning more than $200,000 who are not paid from the governor's budget. It also changes the effective date from the end of the 2026 legislative session to January 1, 2491.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from covering all executive branch appointees with high salaries to only those serving as 'advisors' with salaries exceeding $200,000 not funded from the governor's budget.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed from requiring Senate confirmation for all executive branch appointees earning governor's or department head salary to only 'advisors' earning more than $200,000 not paid from governor's budget.

REQUIREMENT

Updated Section 1 title from 'Gubernatorial appointments; salaries; senate confirmation' to 'Gubernatorial appointments; advisors; salaries; senate confirmation' to reflect the narrowed scope.

Modified Section 2 to require nominations only for existing appointees serving as 'advisors' with salaries over $200,000 not paid from the governor's budget.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from the end of the 2026 regular session to January 1, 2491.

DEFINITION

Added specific definition of 'person appointed by the governor to serve in the executive branch' to mean salaried positions not subject to chapter 76.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Reported from GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 316) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Moriwaki, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard, Fevella.

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 01-28-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to GVO, JDC.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors