Hawaii Senate Bill SCR178

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Report Pass: 4/8/26
• Engrossed: 4/9/26
• Refer: 4/10/26
• Report Pass: 4/20/26
• Refer: 4/20/26
• Refer: 4/27/26
• Passed: 4/28/26

Caption

Urging All State And County Agencies Involved In Construction Procurement To Implement Prompt Payment Transparency Measures And Expressing Appreciation To The Public Works Division Of The Department Of Accounting And General Services For Its Efforts.

Summary

SCR178 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging all state and county agencies involved in construction procurement to adopt prompt payment transparency measures. The resolution is focused on improving visibility into contractor payments, retainage, job progress, and subcontractor payment status by encouraging agencies to create public contractor payment websites similar to the one already operated by the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) Public Works Division. The resolution also expresses appreciation for DAGS Public Works for establishing a payment transparency website and presents that effort as a model for other procuring agencies. It requests that affected agencies implement a public website within one year of adoption and report back to the Legislature by the 2027 Regular Session, including any proposed legislation. Agencies that cannot implement a website are asked to provide a written explanation of the barriers so lawmakers can consider solutions.

Impact

SCR178 does not directly amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes or create enforceable new duties, but it establishes legislative encouragement and reporting expectations for state and county procurement agencies. Its practical effect is to push agencies toward greater disclosure of contractor payment information in public works and construction procurement, with potential future legislation informed by agency progress reports and implementation barriers. The resolution specifically targets procurement practices affecting prime contractors, subcontractors, retainage, and progress payments.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment around the resolution appears strongly positive and supportive. The bill’s findings frame prompt payment as a fairness and efficiency issue, and the committee votes show unanimous passage in both Senate committees that considered it, each by a 3-0 vote and without amendment. The appreciation expressed toward DAGS Public Works suggests the measure is intended as a constructive, model-based policy rather than a punitive one.

Contention

The main issue underlying the resolution is not opposition to transparency itself, but the practical difficulty some agencies may face in implementing a contractor payment website. The resolution anticipates that some state or county agencies may be unable to establish such a system and therefore asks them to explain the barriers, implying concerns about administrative capacity, technical resources, or existing procurement systems. Another implicit point of concern is the longstanding problem of delayed retainage and progress payments, which the resolution identifies as harmful to contractors and subcontractors and the reason for seeking broader transparency measures.