Labor & Employment

signed · Hawaii · House May 28, 2026

HB 2315: RELATING TO STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.

Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a vacation payout pilot program in which eligible Department of Health employees may defer unused vacation leave credits in favor of a pay out to provide home purchase down payment assistance. Requires reports to the Legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2029. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands state employee benefits by allowing vacation payout for home down payment assistance, enhancing compensation options beyond standard leave policies.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Hawaii · House May 26, 2026

HB 2272: MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS.

Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of bargaining unit (11) and their excluded counterparts, including health premium payments and the cost of salary adjustments negotiated between the State and the bargaining unit representative for fiscal biennium 2025-2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds emergency salary adjustments for public employees via appropriations, directly supporting budget allocation for essential workforce costs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds collective bargaining costs and salary adjustments for public employees' bargaining unit, directly supporting labor negotiations and rights under Public Employment Cost Items.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Hawaii · House May 26, 2026

HB 2271: MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS.

Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of bargaining units (1) and (10) and their excluded counterparts to resolve issues related to temporary hazard pay for fiscal year 2025-2026. Authorizes the use of the general fund appropriations to restore the temporary reclassifications for temporary hazard pay payouts to the appropriate departments to provide for the repayment of the general fund loan. Specifies that emergency appropriations made under Act 29, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, do not lapse until June 30, 2027. (CD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates emergency funds for public employee hazard pay and bargaining costs, increasing state budget allocation for public employment.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds collective bargaining costs and temporary hazard pay for public employees, directly advancing worker benefits and rights through emergency appropriations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Hawaii · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 3082: RELATING TO MILITARY FAMILIES.

SB 3082 authorizes eligible employees in the state to take family leave for qualifying military exigencies under existing state law. It directly affects employees whose spouses, children, or parents are on active military duty, allowing them to take time off for specific military-related situations like deployment-related events. The bill expands the state's family leave framework to include these military-specific circumstances without creating new leave categories. The legislation is currently in its early stages, having been introduced on January 26, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands family leave benefits for military-related exigencies, protecting workers' rights under employment standards by enabling time off for deployment-related events without new leave categories.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

passed · Hawaii · Senate May 12, 2026

SR 9: REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND GENDER IDENTITY IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, EDUCATION, FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, CREDIT, AND JURY SERVICE.

This is a Senate resolution (SR 9), not a bill that would become law. It requests the U.S. Congress to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in eight key areas: employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. The resolution cites Hawaii's existing state protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and notes that federal law currently lacks such comprehensive coverage. As a resolution, it does not change any laws but formally urges Congress to take action on the Equality Act.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExplicitly prohibits housing discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity, aligning with tenant protection and anti-discrimination goals in housing policy.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequests federal prohibition of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity, directly advancing worker protections in Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

Track

passed both · Hawaii · Senate May 12, 2026

SCR 11: REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION TO AMEND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND GENDER IDENTITY IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS, EDUCATION, FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, CREDIT, AND JURY SERVICE.

This Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 11) requests the U.S. Congress to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to add explicit protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It seeks to prohibit such discrimination in key areas including employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. The resolution directly affects LGBTQ+ individuals who currently lack comprehensive federal protections in these contexts. Hawaii already provides similar state-level protections (through Act 40, 2022), but this resolution urges federal action to create uniform nationwide safeguards.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill explicitly requests federal prohibition of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity, directly advancing tenant protections per topic description.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly requests federal prohibition of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity, directly strengthening workplace protections for LGBTQ+ workers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · Hawaii · House May 1, 2026

HB 1658: RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

Amends the collective bargaining negotiation procedure on the repricing of classes within a bargaining unit for public employees. Establishes an impasse procedure to be applied when an employer fails to initiate the negotiation or the parties fail to reach an agreement within certain timeframes. Repeals existing law that requires a different impasse procedure to apply in those situations. Sunsets 6/30/2029. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes clear impasse procedure for public employee collective bargaining negotiations, strengthening labor rights by preventing stalled negotiations and ensuring timely resolution.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · Hawaii · House May 1, 2026

HB 1664: RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

Allows impasses and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) to be resolved by arbitration. Repeals the prohibition against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of State and county contributions to the EUTF. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRepeals strike prohibition on contribution disputes, strengthening collective bargaining rights for union members regarding health benefits funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate May 1, 2026

SB 2320: RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes the Kuleana AgTech Pathways Program to create career pipelines in the fields of agriculture and agricultural technology. Requires the University of Hawaii to collaborate with the Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and appropriate community organizations to develop and administer the program. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes AgTech career pathways program with DOE collaboration, appropriates funds for educational pipeline development, directly advancing K-12/higher education opportunities in agricultural fields.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates agtech career pathways with DLIR collaboration, funding workforce development in agriculture sector to advance employment opportunities.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds AgTech career pathways via University of Hawaii collaboration, directly advancing agricultural technology sector through program development and appropriations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate May 1, 2026

SB 3233: RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE HOUSING.

Requires state agencies that administer agricultural leases, licenses, development programs, or procurement involving agricultural products to award points or preferences to agricultural projects incorporating agricultural workforce housing. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to submit a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill incentivizes agricultural projects to include workforce housing via procurement preferences, directly advancing housing development for agricultural workers.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill incentivizes agricultural projects with workforce housing through procurement preferences, addressing housing needs as part of employment conditions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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