SB598 establishes the Hawaii Hope Card Program within the Department of the Attorney General. The program would issue “hope cards” to people who have obtained long-term protective orders, with the goal of helping law enforcement quickly verify the existence and scope of those orders. The cards would be laminated, wallet-sized documents containing key identifying information, the issuing court and case number, the order’s dates and terms, and information about any protected children or other covered individuals. The bill also allows multiple cards to be issued so they can be shared with schools, employers, child care providers, or other entities that may need to know about the order.
The bill creates a confidential database accessible to the program and law enforcement, with 24-hour internet and telephone verification access. It also establishes a Hawaii Hope Card Program Special Fund to receive card fees, legislative appropriations, gifts, donations, and grants, and to pay for staffing, card production, access systems, and public information materials. The Department of the Attorney General would be required to develop and implement the program by January 1, 2026, and report annually on fund receipts and expenditures. The bill includes an appropriation mechanism for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, though the dollar amounts are left blank in the text provided.
In terms of state law, SB598 adds a new part to chapter 28 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and ties the program to existing long-term protective order provisions under section 604-10.5 and chapter 586. It does not change the standards for obtaining a protective order, but it creates a new administrative system for documenting and verifying those orders. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General to hire program staff without regard to chapter 76, which would exempt those positions from the usual civil service framework.
The general sentiment around the bill appears favorable. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed it unanimously, 5-0, with amendments, and the bill was then reported out and passed second reading before referral to Ways and Means. That voting pattern suggests broad support for the concept of improving access to protective-order verification and supporting survivors and law enforcement.
The main points of contention appear to be practical rather than ideological. The bill raises implementation questions about funding, staffing, database security, and how much information should be included on the card and made available to law enforcement. The text also contains placeholders for fee and appropriation amounts, indicating unresolved fiscal details. Another notable issue is privacy: the bill permits confidential access for verification, but it also contemplates multiple cards being distributed to schools, employers, and other entities, which may raise concerns about disclosure of sensitive protective-order information.
SB598 would add new statutory authority for a state-run protective-order verification program and special fund, expanding the Department of the Attorney General’s responsibilities. It would create a new administrative process for issuing hope cards, maintaining a confidential verification database, and coordinating with law enforcement and potentially the Hawaii criminal justice data center. The bill would also authorize appropriations and fee collection to support the program, while leaving the underlying protective-order laws largely unchanged.
The available legislative history suggests the bill was received positively. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved it unanimously and the measure advanced through second reading as amended, indicating support for the program’s public-safety and victim-assistance goals. No committee transcript objections are provided, and the referral to Ways and Means suggests the remaining focus is on fiscal and implementation details rather than policy opposition.
The likely areas of concern are funding, privacy, and administration. Fiscal questions include the unspecified fee cap and blank appropriation amounts, as well as whether the special fund will adequately cover staffing and technology costs. Privacy concerns center on the amount of personal and protective-order information placed on the card and stored in the database, especially when cards may be shared with schools, employers, or child care providers. Administrative issues include the Attorney General’s authority to hire outside chapter 76 and the logistics of maintaining 24/7 verification access for law enforcement.