This bill directs state and county agencies in Hawaii to establish written policies by January 1, 2027, that ensure their facilities remain safe spaces for all residents regardless of immigration status. The law requires these agencies to clearly mark nonpublic areas, create procedures for handling warrants, ban the collection of immigration data unless legally required, and mandate annual staff training along with multilingual notices. Additionally, the attorney general must publish model policies for these agencies to adopt, while private organizations may choose to follow them voluntarily. The legislation explicitly states that it does not prevent the University of Hawaii from complying with federal funding requirements.
This bill prohibits Hawaii state and county law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with federal immigration authorities or engaging in immigration enforcement activities. It directly affects police departments, sheriff's offices, and correctional facilities by restricting their ability to detain individuals based on federal immigration hold requests or transfer them to federal custody. The law also prevents these agencies from asking about a person's citizenship status unless it is directly connected to a criminal investigation and bars them from sharing non-public personal information with federal immigration officials for immigration purposes. These measures aim to build trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities by ensuring that local police do not get involved in federal immigration enforcement.
This bill, signed into law on June 25, 2026, requires state and county law enforcement agencies in Hawaii to inform individuals in custody about their rights before any federal immigration interview regarding civil immigration violations can begin. Under the new rules, officers must provide a free, written consent form in accessible languages that explains the individual's right to remain silent, their right to have an attorney present, and the voluntary nature of the interview. The form allows the person to choose whether to decline the interview entirely or proceed only with their lawyer, and it clearly marks their decision. Additionally, the bill designates all records showing that federal immigration authorities accessed a detained individual as public records, increasing transparency around these interactions.
This bill, signed into law as Act 150, updates Hawaii's rules for keeping biological evidence after a criminal conviction to address storage challenges caused by overly broad requirements. It limits mandatory retention to serious felony cases where the defendant's identity was genuinely disputed and DNA testing could help identify or exclude the perpetrator. For cases where the identity was not contested or biological material was unlikely, the bill allows law enforcement to dispose of evidence with court approval, even before all appeals are finished. Additionally, the law provides defendants a formal opportunity to object to the disposal of evidence and grants courts the authority to order retention under specific circumstances.
This bill, signed into law by the Governor on June 26, 2026, requires that protective orders issued in Hawaii be shared with military security forces when the person subject to the order is a service member. The law mandates that court clerks send copies of these orders to local police and the appropriate military investigative divisions within 24 hours. Additionally, it establishes a requirement for local law enforcement to create verification systems and develop joint training programs with military branches to improve communication and response. These measures aim to enhance safety and accountability for victims of domestic violence involving military personnel while maintaining confidentiality and due process.
This bill informs the Hawaii Legislature that the Governor signed Act 107 into law on June 8, 2026. The legislation requires all new law enforcement officers hired after June 30, 2028, to complete specific training in areas such as de-escalation, mental health response, and implicit bias before being employed. Additionally, the law mandates that these officers must receive official certification from the state board starting July 1, 2028, unless they have completed an equivalent program in another jurisdiction. The act applies to hiring practices across various county police departments and state agencies, including the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of the Attorney General.
This bill, signed into law by the Governor of Hawaii on June 24, 2026, limits the maximum prison sentence for nonviolent misdemeanor offenses to 364 days instead of one year. It applies to crimes that are not classified as crimes of violence and allows individuals sentenced before the law takes effect to request a review of their sentences to reflect this new cap. The legislation also updates the sentencing guidelines for courts, ensuring that judges cannot impose more than 364 days of imprisonment for these specific minor offenses unless the crime involves violence.
This bill extends the sunset date for Hawaii's habitual violent crime law, originally set to expire in 2027, to June 30, 2031. It requires the attorney general to submit annual reports to the legislature starting in 2027, detailing statistics on arrests, charges, and case outcomes for repeat violent offenders without revealing personal information. Additionally, the bill mandates a one-time comprehensive evaluation by the Criminal Justice Research Institute by 2031 to assess the law's effectiveness in reducing violent crime before it is allowed to expire. These changes ensure that policymakers have sufficient data to determine whether the enhanced penalties for repeat offenders should be made permanent or adjusted.
This bill, signed into law as Act 089, updates Hawaii statutes to protect individuals alleging domestic abuse from being forced into mediation during family court cases. It applies to parentage, divorce, and child custody proceedings, ensuring that courts cannot require a victim to attend mediation against their wishes. Under the new rules, mediation can only proceed if the alleged victim explicitly agrees and if a specially trained mediator is used to ensure their safety. Additionally, mediators must screen for domestic abuse and cannot conduct sessions if abuse is suspected unless these safety conditions are met. The law also allows parties to bring an attorney or advocate to mediation sessions to support the alleged victim.
This bill directs the state to spend $2,365,000 on new equipment for the Hawaii island branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' conservation enforcement division. The funds will purchase one maritime patrol vessel and twenty police-marked vehicles to support officers who will be trained at a new academy launching in 2026. The legislation addresses a shortage of serviceable vehicles and the need for additional marine patrol capabilities in West Hawaii. These resources are scheduled to become available on July 1, 2026.
