SB 2672 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO RETIRANTS.

Summary

Establishes a five-year pilot program allowing retirants to be rehired for exempt service for one-year terms under certain circumstances. Provides that retirants employed under the program are excluded from the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund and will not experience an interruption of pension benefits. Requires an employer of a retirant under the program to contribute to the Employees' Retirement System. Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to submit a report to the Legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2031. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action Feb 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB2672 → SB2672_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision updates the bill's metadata to reflect a Senate Draft 1 version and modifies the effective date of the legislation from immediate approval to January 1, 2077, with a sunset provision in 2031. It also adjusts the eligibility criteria for re-employed retirees by extending the employment gap requirement from six to twelve months and clarifies that new employee-beneficiaries hired after June 30, 2026, are excluded from certain health plan provisions during their employment.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on retirant reemployment, but the applicability of the new 89-day contract program is now delayed until 2077, and the definition of eligible retirants includes a new twelve-month employment gap requirement.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from immediate approval to January 1, 2077, with a repeal scheduled for June 30, 2031.

ELIGIBILITY

The requirement for a retirant to be unemployed before reemployment was extended from six calendar months to twelve calendar months.

A new condition was added stating that no agreement for return-to-work employment existed before the retirant retired.

The exclusion of employee-beneficiaries from health benefits plans during their employment was limited to those hired after June 30, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

The contribution requirement for employers was clarified to specify contributions to the pension accumulation fund for rehired retirants.

TECHNICAL

Various formatting changes were made to the bill text, including the addition of bracketed placeholders for 'National Guard' and removal of specific position listings.

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

Feb 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Reported from LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2316) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Moriwaki, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara.

upper

Feb 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to LBT, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

3 primary · 1 co-sponsor