SB 109 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

Summary

Requires that the Hawaiian version of a law be held binding if the law in question was originally drafted in Hawaiian and meets certain criteria. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 9, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB109_SD1 → SB109_SD2 · 2 edits

MINOR

This bill revision expands the legal protection for Hawaiian language laws by adding a new scenario where English laws later translated into Hawaiian are also considered binding. Previously, only laws originally drafted in Hawaiian received this protection; now, the status of the Hawaiian version is preserved even if the law was first written in English and subsequently amended or recodified into Hawaiian.

Scope change

The bill's scope broadened to include laws originally drafted in English that were later translated into Hawaiian, whereas it previously applied only to laws originally drafted in Hawaiian.

ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility for laws originally drafted in English that were subsequently amended, codified, recodified, or reenacted in Hawaiian to be treated as binding in the Hawaiian version.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the statutory language to clarify that the binding nature of the Hawaiian version applies to both originally Hawaiian laws and those translated from English after initial drafting.

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

Amendments

Apr 8, 2025

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 570).

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kapela, Marten excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to JHA, referral sheet 20

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 86) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Feb 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-19-25 9:45AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 207) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

upper

Jan 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, San Buenaventura, Keohokalole, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara.

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 01-28-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to HWN, JDC.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 9, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors