Hawaii House Bill HB503

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 1/21/25
• Report Pass: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25

Caption

RELATING TO THE HAWAII FIRST RESPONDERS MEMORIAL.

Summary

HB503 appropriates state general funds to the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) to hire a consultant for the Hawaii First Responders Memorial. The consultant would evaluate potential sites and memorial designs, supporting the work of a memorial planning group established after the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution No. 97 in 2024. The bill is framed as a follow-up to that earlier resolution and as a step toward advancing the memorial project from planning into site and design evaluation. The bill does not create a new regulatory program or alter eligibility for public benefits; instead, it authorizes an appropriation for planning services over fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. It directs the funds to DAGS for the limited purpose of engaging a consultant, and the measure’s stated effective date is July 1, 3000, a placeholder date commonly used in draft legislation to indicate the bill is not yet intended to take effect as written. If enacted, the bill would add a specific state-funded planning expense for a commemorative public project. Overall sentiment around the bill appears positive and respectful, reflecting broad support for honoring first responders who died in the line of duty. The available voting history shows the bill passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and advanced without any recorded opposition or reservations, suggesting little visible resistance at that stage. The committee context provided does not include detailed testimony or debate, but the measure’s progression indicates general legislative approval. The main point of contention, to the extent one is present, is not about the memorial’s purpose but about the use of public funds and the scope of the planning process. Because the bill appropriates an unspecified amount for consultant services, questions could arise about cost, site selection, design priorities, and whether the memorial should proceed through a consultant-led process. However, no explicit opposition is reflected in the available record, and the bill appears to have moved forward smoothly.

Impact

HB503 would amend state spending authority by appropriating general funds to DAGS for consultant services related to the Hawaii First Responders Memorial. It does not amend substantive statutes governing first responders, memorials, or procurement, but it does create a new line-item expenditure for planning and design evaluation. The practical effect is to support site and design analysis for a state memorial project and to formalize the next step in the memorial’s development under DAGS oversight.

Sentiment

The general sentiment appears favorable and commemorative, with the bill advancing through the House without recorded opposition or votes in reservation. The measure is consistent with prior legislative direction to establish a working group and plan the memorial, and the available record suggests the bill is viewed as a constructive continuation of that effort. There is no indication of significant partisan or policy division in the materials provided.

Contention

Any potential contention centers on fiscal and project-management questions rather than the memorial itself: the bill uses general revenues for a consultant, leaves the appropriation amount blank in the text provided, and delegates evaluation of locations and designs to an outside professional. Those details could prompt scrutiny over cost, process, and whether the memorial should be advanced through state staff or a consultant. The record provided, however, shows no explicit opposition, and no committee testimony is available to identify specific critics or objections.