Hawaii Bills

This bill, effective July 1, 2025, requires that mamaki tea products sold in Hawaii must accurately indicate if they are 100% grown in the state. It prohibits using the terms "Mamaki," "Hawaii," "Hawaiian," or misleading Hawaiian imagery on consumer packages unless the tea is entirely Hawaii-grown, and mandates that non-consumer packages (e.g., wholesale) must clearly state "Hawaii-grown mamaki tea." The Department of Agriculture will enforce these rules with a new $65,000-funded staff position for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years.

Duke's Law (Act 235) establishes an agricultural enforcement pilot program on Oahu and Hawaii islands to address crimes threatening farms, including theft, vandalism, trespassing, and unauthorized hunting. The program, managed by a new assistant chief and law enforcement personnel, will focus on protecting agricultural lands and farmers' property. It clarifies existing laws, strengthens penalties for agricultural crimes, and distinguishes between administrative and criminal consequences. This law directly affects farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses by aiming to reduce financial losses and property damage from illegal activities on their land.

This bill requires all firewood imported into Hawaii to be heat-treated and labeled with certification from a federal or state agency, or to have prior authorization from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. It prohibits the importation of untreated firewood without a permit, aiming to prevent the spread of invasive pests like the emerald ash borer. Importers must maintain and provide records of their firewood imports for at least two years upon request. The law targets biosecurity risks to Hawaii's native forests, agriculture, and environment by closing a regulatory gap in firewood handling.

This bill, Act 234, limits how long minors can be held in juvenile detention facilities or shelters to 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) without a court hearing. Longer detention is permitted only under specific conditions, such as when a court orders it after a hearing, for a court appearance within 48 hours, or due to safety concerns like severe weather. It also prohibits minors from having sight or sound contact with adult inmates when held in adult facilities and requires staff in shared facilities to be trained on handling minors. The law directly affects minors in Hawaii's juvenile justice system and the facilities that house them.

This bill (SB304, Act 233) appropriates $739,440 for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund new staff positions within the adult client services branch of the first circuit court in Hawaii. It creates eight probation officer positions, one social worker assistant position, and two clerk positions, with specific annual funding amounts allocated for each. The bill aims to help the branch move toward national caseload standards for probation services (e.g., 50:1 for moderate/high-risk individuals) by increasing staffing capacity. It became law on July 1, 2025, following the governor's signature on June 26, 2025.

This bill amends Hawaii Revised Statutes to establish specific numbers of judges for each judicial circuit: 15 judges for the First Circuit, 3 for the Second and Third Circuits, and 2 for the Fifth Circuit. It designates one judge in the First Circuit to handle landlord-tenant and small claims matters, with the chief justice able to authorize other judges to handle these cases when needed. The bill also allows district courts to hold sessions at any location within their circuits as often as necessary to promote justice. This legislation formalizes the organizational structure of Hawaii's district court system, directly affecting how cases are administered across the state's judicial circuits.

HB401, enacted as Act 232, specifies the number of judges for Hawaii's district court circuits: 14 for the first circuit, 3 for the second, 4 for the third, and 2 for the fifth. It also authorizes the chief justice of the supreme court to appoint an administrative judge for each circuit to manage court operations. These changes directly affect the staffing structure and management of district courts statewide, which handle civil, criminal, and family cases. The bill was signed into law by Governor Green on June 26, 2025.

This bill (HB398, Act 230) updates compensation rates for court-appointed attorneys and guardians in Hawaii. It raises hourly rates for attorneys from $90 to $150 and for non-attorney court-appointed representatives from $49 to $122. The bill also increases maximum fees for certain cases, such as $5,500 for pre-disposition reviews in specific legal areas and $2,000 for post-disposition hearings. These changes directly affect court-appointed legal representatives and impact how compensation is calculated in state court cases.

This bill (HB727, Act 228) permanently establishes a women's court program in Hawaii's First Circuit Court and creates a two-year pilot program in the Kona Division of the Third Circuit Court. It directly affects women in the justice system who face barriers like trauma, substance use, poverty, and family caregiving responsibilities. The law requires both programs to provide trauma-informed services - including mental health treatment, family support, housing assistance, and vocational training - to reduce recidivism and support community reintegration. The judiciary must submit annual reports on the pilot program's progress to the legislature.

This document is not a legislative bill but a procedural notification from Governor Green confirming the signing of HB400 into law on June 26, 2025. It does not describe the bill's content or policy provisions - it only formally informs the legislature that the bill (identified as HB400 HD1 SD2 CD1, ACT 227) was enacted. The text references the bill's title ("Relating to the Judiciary") and mentions it relates to judiciary appropriations, but no substantive policy details or mechanisms are provided in this notification. A full summary of the bill's content would require access to the actual bill text, which is not included here.

This message from Governor Josh Green explains that he has returned House Bill 300 (the General Appropriations Act of 2025) with specific line-item vetoes. The Governor reduced funding for several state programs including the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation ($2 million), Adult Mental Health Inpatient services ($10 million), School Support ($45 million), University of Hawaii Manoa ($785,000), and other agencies. These reductions were made due to lower tax revenue projections and the need to maintain budget flexibility for potential federal funding cutbacks. The Governor exercised his constitutional authority under Section 16 of Article III of the Hawaii Constitution to veto specific budget items.

This bill (HB280) permanently establishes a Community Outreach Court as a division of Hawaii's District Court of the First Circuit. It directly affects homeless individuals in Honolulu facing nonviolent, nonfelony charges like public drinking or trespassing, who often miss court due to unstable housing. The court holds sessions in community locations (e.g., shelters or parks) to resolve cases, lift bench warrants, and connect participants with services like mental health care, substance abuse treatment, or housing assistance instead of imposing fines. It builds on a successful 2017 pilot project that resolved over 10,000 cases and 7,000+ community service hours. The law appropriates funds to make this outreach model permanent.