HB1446 requires the Hawaii Office of the Auditor to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Accounting and General Services concerning spending tied to the planning, design, financing, construction, and maintenance of a proposed new jail to replace the Oahu Community Correctional Center. The audit must examine accountability measures, budget use, procurement compliance, and the roles of contractors and subcontractors, and may include any other matters the auditor deems relevant.
The bill also requires the auditor to report findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature before the 2026 regular session. It appropriates general funds for fiscal year 2025-2026 to carry out the audit and requires the two departments to fully cooperate by providing records and other requested information.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would create a new statutory mandate for the Office of the Auditor to investigate state spending and procurement related to the OCCC replacement project. It would not itself halt construction or change correctional policy directly, but it would increase oversight of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Accounting and General Services, potentially affecting future appropriations, procurement decisions, and project planning for the jail replacement. The bill also adds a reporting requirement to the Legislature and authorizes a specific appropriation for the audit.
Sentiment
The bill appears generally skeptical of the proposed Oahu jail replacement project and supportive of stronger oversight. The findings emphasize overcrowding, homelessness, substance use treatment needs, mental health needs, and the high projected cost of the new facility, suggesting concern that the project is moving forward without sufficient planning or accountability. Because there were no recorded committee transcripts or votes provided, the available context shows the bill’s intent and framing but not any recorded legislative debate or formal support/opposition.
Contention
The main point of contention is the proposed $1 billion replacement of the Oahu Community Correctional Center and whether the state should continue investing in that project without a current systems-wide master plan, full accounting of prior spending, or demonstrated efforts to repair existing facilities. Supporters of the bill are likely to favor fiscal oversight, procurement review, and exploration of diversion and pretrial-reduction strategies, while opponents may view the audit as an obstacle to urgently needed jail replacement or as a challenge to the departments’ planning authority. The bill also implicitly raises tension between building new correctional capacity and investing in alternatives such as diversion, treatment, and reduced pretrial detention.