Criminal Justice

signed · Hawaii · House Jul 7, 2026

HB 1959: RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

Extends for five years certain provisions from Act 19, SLH 2020, and Act 238, SLH 2021, relating to abuse of family or household members, including establishing a petty misdemeanor offense of abuse of family or household members, clarifying penalties for violations, and allowing a deferred acceptance of guilty plea for misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor abuse of family or household members offenses. Requires the Judiciary to submit reports to the Legislature. Effective 6/29/2026. (CD1)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes petty misdemeanor offense for domestic abuse and allows deferred guilty pleas, promoting diversion over incarceration to reduce recidivism and improve case management.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 3331: RELATING TO FAMILY SAFETY.

Establishes comprehensive reforms to protect children and families from abuse and improve systemic responses. Part I: Establishes the calendar year 2027 as the Year of Resilience, Safety, and Survivor Justice. Part II: Modernizes statutory definitions of harm and child abuse. Part III: Recognizes coercive control as domestic abuse. Part IV: Reforms Family Court procedures to prioritize child safety and prohibit parental alienation theories. Part V: Defines economic abuse and strengthens financial protections, including automatic restraining orders, emergency hearings, forensic accounting authority, and liability for financial institutions. Part VI: Safeguards neurodivergent children and prohibits diagnosis shopping. Part VII: Protects reproductive privacy in custody proceedings. Part VIII: Enhances Child Welfare Services Branch accountability through audits and creation of a Child Welfare Ombudsman. Part IX: Requires automatic protective orders and custody restrictions in cases of severe violence. Part X: Creates a Family Violence Docket with mandatory judicial training and an advisory panel.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeModernizes abuse definitions, recognizes coercive control, reforms Family Court to prioritize child safety - strengthens legal protections within criminal justice system85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 483: RELATING TO HAWAII COVERT OPERATIONS.

Establishes the Hawaii Covert Operations Against Smuggling and Transnational Threats program with the Department of Law Enforcement to combat smuggling of drugs and weapons and human trafficking.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes new law enforcement program targeting drug/weapons smuggling and trafficking, strengthening enforcement efforts against specific crimes per bill's purpose.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Law Enforcement

Track

passed both · Hawaii · House Apr 2, 2026

HB 664: RELATING TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

Establishes the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to conduct community outreach on gun violence prevention, develop and administer a grant program for gun violence prevention, and develop and administer a gun violence resource bank. Moves the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission from the Office of the Attorney General to the Department of Law Enforcement. Replaces the Attorney General with the Director of Law Enforcement as Chair of the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission and includes the Attorney General as a commission member. Establishes the Gun Violence Prevention Special Fund and appropriates funds into and out of the special fund. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD2)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes prevention programs, grants, and resource banks focused on reducing gun violence through community outreach, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Law Enforcement

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 444: RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST SENIORS.

HB 444 removes the requirement that a person committing certain crimes must know or reasonably should know the victim is 60 years or older. This change directly affects seniors aged 60+ by making it easier to prosecute crimes against them, regardless of whether the perpetrator knew the victim's age. The bill modifies the legal standard for specific offenses, shifting the focus from the perpetrator's knowledge to the victim's age alone. It does not create new penalties but adjusts how existing crimes are evaluated when seniors are victims. The bill is currently pending in the 2026 legislative session.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves perpetrator knowledge requirement for crimes against seniors, strengthening protections for vulnerable victims and aligning with criminal justice reform principles.95% confidence

Tags Seniors

Track

passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1364: MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL COSTS.

Makes emergency appropriations for fiscal year 2024-2025 to the Department of Accounting and General Services and the Judiciary for payroll and fringe benefits of affected Department of Law Enforcement personnel. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides emergency funding for law enforcement payroll and benefits, directly increasing government spending on essential personnel costs within budget management.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds law enforcement personnel payroll and benefits, directly supporting operational capacity within criminal justice system per bill's emergency appropriations for Department of Law Enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Law Enforcement

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 569: RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires all department schools to offer community policing programs including DARE, LEEP, and PAL. Authorizes the department of education to work with the department of law enforcement and local police departments to implement the programs. Requires a faculty liaison.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires schools to implement community policing programs (DARE, LEEP, PAL), promoting police-community engagement and prevention-focused criminal justice initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1156: RELATING TO DEEPFAKES.

SB 1156 makes it a crime to create or distribute sexually explicit deepfakes without the person's consent. It directly affects victims of non-consensual deepfakes and individuals who create or share such content. The key provision establishes criminal penalties for distributing these specific types of deepfakes. The bill is currently pending before the LBT committee after a hearing was deferred on February 7, 2025. It has not yet become law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes non-consensual deepfakes to protect victims, aligning with civil rights protection in criminal justice. Explicitly establishes penalties for specific offenses affecting victims.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyCriminalizes non-consensual deepfakes to protect digital privacy and prevent harm, aligning with data privacy and digital rights protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 957: RELATING TO OVERDOSE PREVENTION.

Establishes and provides criteria for overdose prevention centers, including standards for the Department of Health to designate certain facilities as overdose prevention centers. Establishes an Overdose Prevention Center Oversight Committee. Provides immunity from state criminal prosecution for certain offenses for persons using a designated overdose prevention center and persons operating a designated overdose prevention center. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProvides immunity from criminal prosecution for overdose center users/operators, reducing criminal penalties for drug use in harm reduction context.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 2, 2026

HB 2363: RELATING TO ASSISTED COMMUNITY TREATMENT.

HB 2363 expands eligibility for "assisted community treatment" to include repeat petty offenders. This program provides community-based support (like counseling or supervision) instead of jail time for individuals with behavioral health needs. The bill changes eligibility rules to cover people with multiple minor offense convictions. It directly affects repeat petty offenders by offering treatment alternatives to incarceration.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill expands community treatment alternatives to jail for repeat petty offenders with behavioral health needs, reducing incarceration and promoting rehabilitation, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands mental health treatment access via community support for behavioral health needs, replacing incarceration for repeat offenders, directly strengthening mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy Mental Health

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