HB 2448 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.

HB 2448 criminalizes female genital mutilation (FGM) performed on minors within the state, establishing it as a punishable offense. The bill directly affects minors who are victims of FGM and provides them with civil remedies, including legal options to seek compensation. Key provisions include defining FGM on minors as a criminal act and creating a pathway for victims to pursue civil claims against perpetrators. This legislation focuses on preventing harm to minors and offering legal recourse, without specifying enforcement details or penalties beyond the criminal and civil frameworks.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Last action Mar 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB2448 → HB2448_HD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was updated to reflect its first reading in the House of Representatives (HD1) and includes significant substantive changes to the law regarding female genital mutilation. The most critical change is the reduction of the criminal penalty from a Class B felony to a Class C felony. Additionally, the bill was amended to clarify that civil remedies apply to victims of acts punishable under the new offense, and the statute of limitations for prosecution was explicitly tied to the victim reaching age eighteen or the first report to law enforcement.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by clarifying that civil remedies are available for victims of acts punishable under the new offense, rather than just the act itself. The scope of criminal liability was reduced by lowering the severity of the felony charge.

ENFORCEMENT

The criminal penalty for prohibited acts of female genital mutilation of a minor was reduced from a Class B felony to a Class C felony.

TIMELINE

The statute of limitations for prosecution was clarified to begin running only when the victim turns eighteen or when the violation is first reported to law enforcement, whichever happens first.

ELIGIBILITY

The civil action section was updated to specify that victims can sue for damages regarding acts punishable under the new offense, ensuring clarity on who is eligible for civil remedies.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was updated to reflect its status as House Bill 2448, HD1, and the effective date was set to July 1, 3000.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to HHS, JDC.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 422).

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (4) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and Excused: none.

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Committee

Referred to JHA, referral sheet 6

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

26 primary · 0 co-sponsors