HB 2398 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO LIBRARIES.

Summary

Clarifies that the Board of Education, through the State Librarian, has exclusive authority over the development, use, support, and improvement and maintenance of public library system facilities. Allows the Board of Education to authorize the State Librarian to exercise exclusive control of certain land for development or expansion purposes, subject to legislative appropriation. Requires the Department of Education to expeditiously cooperate with the State Librarian and Hawaii State Public Library System to effectuate any project authorized by the Board of Education on certain lands. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Last action Mar 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB2398_HD1 → HB2398_SD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to transition from the House version (HD1) to the Senate version (SD1), updating the bill's effective date from July 1, 3000, to July 31, 2055. The substantive policy content regarding the Board of Education's authority over public library facilities and the Department of Education's cooperation requirements remains unchanged, though the report title was updated to include additional agencies.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability and the substantive legal requirements have not changed; only the effective date and administrative metadata were modified.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 3000, to July 31, 2055.

TECHNICAL

The report title was updated to include 'DOE' and 'State Librarian' alongside existing entities.

Administrative metadata, including author names, bill numbers, and revision identifiers, were updated to reflect the Senate version.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3265) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Mar 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Kidani, Fukunaga.

upper

Mar 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 03-20-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDU, WAM.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 209).

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 493-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 17, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Garrett.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 6

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors