SB418 establishes a statewide regulatory sunset and review program for Hawaii Administrative Rules. The bill directs the Department of the Attorney General to oversee the program and requires every state agency to review at least 20% of its administrative rules each year, ensuring that all rules are reviewed on a five-year cycle. The stated goal is to identify rules that are outdated, duplicative, unsupported by statutory authority, or otherwise unnecessary, and to simplify and modernize the rules to reduce regulatory burdens.
The bill also requires agencies to submit annual reports describing the rules reviewed and recommending whether each rule should be retained, modified, or repealed, along with supporting justifications. The Attorney General must compile those submissions into an annual report for the Governor and Legislature, accept at least 60 days of public comment, and notify state leaders if agencies fail to comply. The measure includes an appropriation for implementation and directs the Attorney General to adopt rules to carry out the program.
Impact
If enacted, SB418 would add a new statewide oversight structure for administrative rule review and create ongoing reporting and compliance obligations for all state agencies. It would affect the Department of the Attorney General most directly by giving it responsibility to administer the program, review agency submissions, compile statewide findings, and enforce reporting compliance. It would also potentially lead to repeal or revision of existing administrative rules across state government, especially those found to be outdated, duplicative, or lacking statutory authority.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, as the Senate Government Operations Committee passed it with amendments on a 4-0 vote. The bill’s findings and structure indicate a deregulatory and government-efficiency theme, emphasizing reduced burdens on businesses and residents and improved clarity in the administrative code. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader opposition or support beyond the committee vote.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the scope and administrative burden of the review process, the requirement that every agency review 20% of its rules annually, and the Attorney General’s expanded oversight role. Agencies may view the reporting and review obligations as resource-intensive, while supporters likely see them as necessary to eliminate obsolete or unsupported regulations. Another possible issue is the bill’s appropriation, which is left blank in the text, and the unusual effective date of January 1, 2525, which appears to be a drafting error rather than a substantive policy choice.