Criminal Justice

passed · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 1376: RELATING TO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

Requires the Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation to reduce the number of individuals incarcerated in private, out-of-state correctional institutions. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective July 1, 3000. (HD2)

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates reduction of private, out-of-state incarceration, a direct reform measure to decrease reliance on for-profit corrections and promote systemic change in criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

Track

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Jan 30, 2026

SB 2772: RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

By January 1, 2027, requires each law enforcement agency operating in the State to maintain a publicly available policy on the visible identification of law enforcement officers. Adds law enforcement officers to covered public servants who may request any government agency, person, or organization to not make publicly available on the Internet certain covered personal information.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeEnables law enforcement officers to restrict public access to personal information, potentially weakening accountability and oversight mechanisms.75% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill protects law enforcement officers' personal information from public internet disclosure, advancing data privacy safeguards for covered personal information.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Data Privacy Tags Government Transparency

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate Apr 27, 2026

SB 2203: RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SB 2203 makes it a criminal offense for law enforcement officers to wear masks or personal disguises while performing official duties. The bill directly affects police officers and other sworn law enforcement personnel by prohibiting this specific conduct during enforcement activities. Its key provision creates a new legal standard, defining the use of disguises as an offense punishable under state law. This bill focuses solely on regulating officer conduct during operations, without addressing broader policing policies or community impacts. The bill is currently pending committee review and has not yet been voted on.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits law enforcement from wearing masks during duties, enhancing officer accountability and transparency in operations per criminal justice reform indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 186: RELATING TO HARASSMENT BY STALKING.

HB 186 reclassifies harassment by stalking as a class C felony, making it a more serious criminal charge. This change directly affects individuals convicted of stalking-related harassment, potentially leading to harsher sentencing. The bill modifies the legal classification, moving it from a lower-level offense to a felony, which impacts how courts handle such cases and the penalties imposed.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies stalking harassment to class C felony, increasing penalties and expanding criminalization per 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Sentencing

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 1342: RELATING TO OFFENDER REENTRY PROGRAMS.

Expands programming and training for the comprehensive offender re-entry program under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to reduce the rate of recidivism and increase inmate marketability and workforce readiness. Appropriates funds.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly expands re-entry programs to reduce recidivism and increase workforce readiness via funding, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands job training for ex-offenders to enhance workforce readiness and employment outcomes, directly advancing employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole

Track

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 200: RELATING TO SPEEDY TRIALS.

Creates a statutory right of victims and witnesses of sexual offenses under part V of chapter 707, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to a speedy trial in criminal cases involving adult defendants. Requires the court and the prosecution to take appropriate action to ensure a prompt trial to minimize the length of time a child abuse victim or minor witness must endure the stress of the proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates speedy trials for sexual offense victims to reduce trauma, aligning with victim protection and efficient criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

Track

in committee · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 571: RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to notify an individual of their rights when in state or local law enforcement agency custody before any interview with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations. Designates all records relating to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as public records under chapter 92F, HRS. Requires state and local law enforcement agencies that have provided the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires rights notification before ICE interviews, strengthening due process protections for detained individuals under law enforcement custody.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationRequires law enforcement to notify rights before ICE interviews and makes records public, protecting detained immigrants from coercion and ensuring transparency in immigration enforcement interactions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 290: RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST ELDERS.

HB 290 establishes that crimes committed against individuals aged 60 or older automatically qualify as crimes against elders, creating strict liability based solely on the victim's age. This means any criminal act against someone 60+ would trigger enhanced penalties under this law, directly affecting elderly victims and potentially altering sentencing for offenders. The key provision removes the need to prove the perpetrator knew the victim's age, making the victim's age a decisive factor in classification. The bill is currently pending in the 2026 legislative session after being introduced in January 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill mandates enhanced penalties via strict liability for crimes against elders, increasing mandatory sentences without requiring perpetrator knowledge of victim age, expanding criminalization.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing Tags Seniors

Track

in committee · Hawaii · House Dec 8, 2025

HB 580: RELATING TO DANGEROUS DRUGS.

Establishes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for promoting a dangerous drug in the third degree if the conviction is predicated on the possession of methamphetamine or fentanyl, and progressive mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment if the person has prior convictions predicated on the trafficking of methamphetamine or the possession of methamphetamine or fentanyl.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeEstablishes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, increasing punitive sentencing and expanding criminalization per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Sentencing

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in committee · Hawaii · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 2253: RELATING TO THE RETENTION OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.

Specifies the types of cases in which evidence must be retained post-conviction and the process by which evidence may be disposed of earlier than the standard period of retention, which includes a procedure for defendants to oppose the disposal of biological evidence by filing an objection with the court.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows defendants to object to disposal of biological evidence, protecting rights to challenge convictions and ensuring evidence retention for appeals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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