Transcript Highlights:

• It sets standards for use in therapeutic practice by requiring informed-consent disclosure and requiring
• In addition, SB 354 mandates specific disclosures identifying the precise personal information collected
• and the actual recipients of any disclosure.
• Third, the notice requires a six-item disclosure that does not exist under CalWARN.
• We now know, because it's something you do with disclosure.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires greater disclosure, helps reduce bias, and moves us toward more equitable outcomes.
• It requires transparency, including clear disclosure of AI use and prohibiting AI from being presented
• It creates a notification process so the Attorney General can intervene and stop improper disclosures
• And although previous bills have required disclosure of digital media licenses, consumers require additional
• And although previous bills have required disclosure of digital media licenses, consumers require additional

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, these disclosures or receipts that we've been talking about, I think that's a very important part
• acknowledgement from the customer that they were given these disclosures, and that must be a part of
• Uh, these disclosures or receipts that we've been talking about, I think that's a very important part
• acknowledgement from the customer that they were given these disclosures, and that must be a part of
• Um, have very robust disclosures and receipts.

Bills: HB0098 , HB0075 , HB0041 , HB0101

Committee: House Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• Part of the concern here is that the unauthorized disclosure of confidential data to DHS may create a
• And again, here there’s a concern with the chilling effect that disclosure of applicant and recipient
• c> unauthorized</c> concern here is that the unauthorized concern here is that the unauthorized disclosure
• of confidential data to DHS disclosure of confidential data to DHS uh<00:22:35.520><c> may</c><00:22
• of applicant and recipient disclosure of applicant and recipient data,<00:25:01.679><c> including</c

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing on the State of Hawaii’s affirmative litigation against the federal administration, with no public testimony. Attorney General Lopez and deputies said the office’s goal is to enforce the rule of law, not make partisan points, and noted that Hawaii is involved in 27 ongoing cases. They grouped the cases into four broad areas: immigration, funding freezes and grant terminations, federal agency dismantling/reductions in force, and protecting elections, health, and safety. Several immigration-related cases were discussed in detail. These included a challenge to the federal sharing of Medicaid data with DHS for immigration enforcement, a similar challenge to USDA’s demand for SNAP applicant and recipient data, and litigation over immigration-enforcement conditions attached to federal grants. The office also described the birthright citizenship executive order, saying it conflicts with the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court precedent; lower courts granted preliminary relief, and the U.S. Supreme Court later addressed only the scope of nationwide injunctions, not the merits. In the Department of Transportation case, the court granted a preliminary injunction against the “Duffy directive,” finding the immigration conditions lacked statutory authority, were arbitrary and capricious, and violated the Spending Clause and APA. The briefing also covered multiple funding disputes. In the education funding freeze case, the Department of Education and OMB withheld about $6 billion in formula funds, including roughly $33 million for Hawaii; after suit was filed, the funds were released. Other cases included the termination of over $11 billion in public health grants, which affected Hawaii Department of Health grants, the NIH indirect cost cap case, and NIH grant terminations tied to DEI, transgender issues, and vaccine hesitancy. The speakers said some cases have already resulted in preliminary or permanent injunctions, while others remain on appeal or are still being litigated.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could a covered retailer seek contract disclosure from a dominant retailer that is outside an economically
• </c><01:10:01.880><c> from</c><01:10:02.040><c> a</c><01:10:02.239><c> dominant</c> contract disclosure
• from a dominant contract disclosure from a dominant retailer<01:10:03.239><c> that</c><01:10:03.400>
• support</c><01:12:18.000><c> them</c><01:12:18.199><c> with</c> We're also concerned about the disclosure
• of contract terms about the disclosure of contract terms while<01:13:28.000><c> it</c><01:13:28.159>

Bills: HF2228 , HF46 , HF856 , HF2149 , HF2215

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 15 would be disclosure statements.
• section<00:09:36.640><c> 15</c><00:09:37.079><c> would</c><00:09:37.200><c> be</c><00:09:37.440><c> disclosure
• </c> section 15 would be disclosure section 15 would be disclosure statements<00:09:39.560><c> um</c>
• </c><00:13:53.199><c> of</c> insure and manage disclosures of insure and manage disclosures of conflict
• I’m currently a condominium homeowner, and, full disclosure, I am not on the board, nor does my firm

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, expanding the Disclosure Act to add the accreditation piece.
• Again, expanding the Disclosure Act to add the accreditation piece.
• Again, expanding the Disclosure Act to add the accreditation piece.
• Again, expanding the Disclosure Act to add the accreditation piece.
• This claim shark bill, again, is expanding the Disclosure Act to add the accreditation piece.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• :49:27.280><c> 1523,</c><01:49:28.640><c> relative</c><01:49:29.080><c> to</c><01:49:29.200><c> disclosure
• </c> Bill 1523, relative to disclosure Bill 1523, relative to disclosure requirements<01:49:30.200><c
• which amendment the Senate asks the concurrence of the House: House Bill 1577, relative to the disclosure
• </c><03:59:59.480><c> of</c><03:59:59.560><c> utility</c> relative to the disclosure of utility relative
• to the disclosure of utility customer<04:00:00.480><c> data</c><04:00:00.800><c> to</c><04:00:00.920

Transcript Highlights:

• criminal enterprises that operate in a coordinated manner to commit large-scale theft of merchandise for resale
• enforcement positions across the country every year, and applicants are already required to sign off on disclosure
• applicants are already already sign off applicants are already already sign off on<05:02:30.400><c> disclosure
• of</c><05:02:31.440><c> their</c><05:02:31.680><c> criminal</c><05:02:32.160><c> history</c> on disclosure
• of their criminal history on disclosure of their criminal history records<05:02:33.040><c> as</c><05

Transcript Highlights:

• State law also does not establish a framework for retention and disclosure of my office's work papers
• rail project by establishing public reporting requirements as well as a work paper retention and disclosure
• there is a legitimate concern where there could be more harm that is done to the public in the disclosure
• that immediate information than it is in allowing for an opportunity for rectification and then disclosure

Transcript Highlights:

• State law also does not establish a framework for retention and disclosure of my office's work papers
• rail project by establishing public reporting requirements as well as a work paper retention and disclosure
• because there is a legitimate concern where there could be more harm done to the public in the disclosure
• of that immediate information than in allowing for an opportunity for rectification and then disclosure

Summary: The committee first heard a DMV budget presentation on the state-to-state verification system required for Real ID compliance and the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization project. DMV officials said the state-to-state system is a pointer-based exchange used when a person applies for a license in another state, with only limited identifying data shared initially and the full driver history sent only after a qualified request. Members raised concerns about privacy, possible misuse by other states or federal actors, notification to Californians, hacking, and whether California could detect or stop abusive access. DMV said it can monitor requests, see patterns of access, work with AAMVA and legal counsel, and seek to block or challenge misuse; LAO said California is in a difficult position and should consider guardrails rather than opt out. On DXP, DMV said the project is on its revised schedule and budget, occupational licensing is complete, vehicle registration is expected by the end of calendar year 2026, and the full system should be finished by fiscal year 2028-29, with phased rollout and reappropriated funding to keep costs controlled. The committee then heard from the California High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General on a trailer bill and AB 1608. The Inspector General said current law does not clearly authorize public reports or establish a framework for retaining and disclosing work papers, and the proposed trailer bill would create that framework while also adding authority to hire needed classifications and purchase goods and services. He also said the office needs a clearer statutory definition of “proposed agreements” and notice when the High-Speed Rail Authority is reviewing them, so the office can review contracts and related agreements effectively. LAO raised no concerns with the trailer bill language, and Finance said any amendments would come in the May revision. Members debated the scope of confidentiality in the Inspector General proposal, especially whether reports could be held confidential when they identify weaknesses in fraud controls, security, or other vulnerabilities. The Inspector General said confidentiality would be temporary, tied to articulating the risk, reassessing it every 120 days, and releasing the report once the risk is no longer substantial; he also said the office had already published reports at its discretion and had found at least one procurement violation involving an amendment that added services not in the original contract. Several members pressed for stronger transparency and suggested time limits or broader disclosure, while others argued the bill would improve oversight and make the Inspector General’s authority clearer. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the item was left for further work on the trailer bill and AB 1608 language.

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows the commission to no longer receive investment fund disclosure information from 403B plans
• no longer receive investment<00:12:13.240><c> fund</c><00:12:13.760><c> uh,</c><00:12:13.960><c> disclosure
• </c> investment fund uh, disclosure investment fund uh, disclosure information<00:12:15.200><c> from<

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• precedent in which any perceived information gap between employers and applicants will justify a new disclosure
• So this is a vendor disclosure, and it's pretty simple. People can read the language.
• So this is a vendor disclosure, and it's pretty simple. People can read the language.
• So this is a vendor disclosure, and it's pretty simple. People can read the language.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• We support the information disclosure, the mitigation requirements, but it can sometimes pose a significant
• and it requires public And CEQA is unique in that it requires mitigation and it requires public disclosure
• is important because of these things that it adds, which is particularly mitigation and public disclosure
• , you know, those are values that ...which is particularly mitigation and public disclosure, you know

Summary: The committee heard SB 1375 by Senator Cortese, which would streamline environmental review for certain transit and rail projects that have already undergone extensive prior review. Supporters, including VTA, San Jose transportation staff, BART, Caltrain, MTC, and Climate Reality Silicon Valley, said the bill would reduce duplicative analysis, save time and money, and help advance projects like the Diridon Station modernization in San Jose. Committee members emphasized the bill’s narrow scope and the added amendments requiring displacement planning, legal services for displaced residents, construction-impact mitigation, and natural resources planning. The bill was approved on a 5-0 vote and sent to Transportation as amended. The committee also took up SB 1031 on compostable plastics labeling and waste-stream impacts. The author and supporters such as Californians Against Waste argued the bill would reduce greenwashing, clarify labeling, cut contamination in compost and recycling streams, and direct OEHHA to study health and environmental effects. Opposition from manufacturers, BPI, retailers, and others focused on concerns that the bill would effectively ban compostable products in California, create costs, and fail to fix a separate federal/NOP labeling problem. After extensive discussion about composting capacity, labeling clarity, and costs, the bill passed 3-2 to Appropriations. SB 958 by Senator Weber Pierson addressed the Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego. The bill, as amended, would no longer create a full CEQA exemption but instead clarify CEQA treatment of building-height impacts in the project’s future EIR. Supporters said the project would deliver thousands of housing units, including affordable housing, along with parks, a new arena, and economic benefits on underused city land. The committee voiced support for the project’s housing and revitalization goals, and the bill passed 3-0 to Local Government as amended. The committee also heard SB 1075 on strengthening AB 617 community air protection plans, with environmental justice supporters backing stronger enforcement and local implementation while local governments, business groups, and air district representatives warned it could create uncertainty, raise costs, and function as a land-use mandate; the bill was held on a 2-2 vote after the author accepted several amendments and continued negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We support the information disclosure, the mitigation requirements, but it can sometimes pose a significant
• and it requires public And CEQA is unique in that it requires mitigation and it requires public disclosure
• is important because of these things that it adds, which is particularly mitigation and public disclosure
• , you know, those are values that Which is particularly mitigation and public disclosure, you know, those

Committee: Senate Environmental Quality

Transcript Highlights:

• It expands patient notice and informed consent requirements, including explicit disclosures that certain
• Take up tab 28, SB 964 on financial disclosures.
• the current statutory language that requires Form 10 to be filed with the individual's financial disclosures
• all information typically included in delayed transaction reports remains protected from public disclosure

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Commission said the Hawaii Campaign Finance Law requires transparency to the public, which provides full disclosure
• because they only have five staff and the number of committees and the information contained on those disclosure
• burden on the office because it has only five staff and must process the information contained in disclosure
• However, we are officially opposed to the subsequent section regarding disclosure and objection 2.

Committee: House Labor

Summary: The House Committee on Labor met on February 19, 2026, and heard a series of bills largely focused on public employment, staffing, and professional licensing. Early measures included HB 2276 and HB 2472, both relating to Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund staff salaries, which were supported by trust fund representatives and received no opposition or questions. The committee also heard HB 1714 HD1 on housing, where the Hawaii Public Housing Authority testified with comments and the Deputy Attorney General raised concerns about the scope of autonomy, civil service, collective bargaining, and a possible separation-of-powers issue involving legislative approval of long-term contracts. The committee then considered several personnel and civil service bills. HB 2325 HD1, relating to civil service exempt positions at DLNR, drew support from DLNR and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, but HGEA opposed it and urged the department to seek other recruitment and retention solutions while keeping employees in civil service. HB 1541, relating to Department of Health positions, was supported by DOH on the grounds that the positions serve vulnerable populations and require specialized expertise, while HGEA opposed. HB 2140 HD1, relating to essential permanent positions, received support from OPSD, HGEA, and the Chamber of Commerce, with written comments from the city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services. HB 2315 HD1, relating to state employment benefits, was strongly supported by DOH, UPW, and HGEA as a recruitment and retention incentive; members questioned the pilot program, and DOH explained it would allow employees to cash out vacation leave earlier than current policy allows. The committee also heard HB 2295 on government contracting, with DOE support not present and IBEW 1186 in opposition. HB 1720, relating to professional engineers, drew strong support from the City and County of Honolulu’s planning department, which argued the bill would help with affordable housing review and only affect eligibility to sit for the licensure exam, but strong opposition from engineering industry and licensing board representatives, who warned it would lower licensing standards and harm reciprocity; members questioned both sides about plan review experience and licensure requirements. HB 2367, relating to employment earnings and pay transparency, received strong support from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, AAUW, the Commission on the Status of Women, and others, who said transparency helps small businesses and retention, while written opposition came from the Maui Chamber of Commerce and NFIB. Finally, HB 1935, relating to personal information, drew comments from the Attorney General and the Campaign Spending Commission about implementation burdens and disclosure requirements, with UPW supporting the home-address redaction portion but opposing the broader disclosure process; additional written testimony was noted from OIP, the League of Women Voters, Public Press Law Center, HGEA, and DCCA.

Transcript Highlights:

• because we have family court rules of practice and procedure that mandate that we do financial disclosure
• procedure that mandate that we do procedure that mandate that we do financial<00:05:16.479><c> disclosure
• </c><00:05:17.680><c> And</c><00:05:17.840><c> I</c> financial disclosure affidavit.
• And I financial disclosure affidavit.

Committee: House Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• And then DCCA also recommends that in this bill we pass amendments mandating the disclosure of the cash
• And then DCCA also recommends that in this bill we pass amendments mandating the disclosure of the cash
• And then DCCA also recommends that in this bill we pass amendments mandating the disclosure of the cash
• to take the DCCA's Office of Consumer Protection recommendations that there should be mandated disclosure

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The joint hearing covered SB 2120, which would allow certain state and county employees rehired within one year to transfer accrued vacation and sick leave and extend the break-in-service period for health benefits. Testimony was split: the Department of Human Resources explained current leave payout and pension credit rules and raised concerns about the long transfer window, while labor representatives supported the measure. During decision-making, both committees recommended passage with amendments. The amendments narrowed the bill by changing the break-in-service period to 180 days for leave beginning on or after July 1, 2026, making the benefit transfer voluntary with a 90-day notice deadline, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2077. The recommendations were adopted by vote. The committees also heard SB 2523, an appropriation for the City and County of Honolulu Department of Information Technology to modernize the driver’s license and motor vehicle system. DIT described the current COBOL-based mainframe as decades old, said the project would use a code-share arrangement with Arizona, and estimated a $10 million, two-year conversion and rollout. Members questioned the cost, the city-state funding arrangement, and the feasibility of the project, including whether it would move to a cloud-based system. After testimony, both committees deferred the measure. In the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs portion, SB 2032 on consumer protection for solar sales drew broad support from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Office of Consumer Protection, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, and others. Testifiers said the bill was needed in response to misleading solar door-to-door sales and urged amendments to clarify “contractual affiliation,” exclude balcony/portable solar devices, and require disclosure of cash and financed prices. The committee then moved on to SB 2079 on vehicle titles, which had one supporter and one opponent but no testimony in person or online, and SB 2241 on zero-emission vehicles, for which the Hawaii State Energy Office submitted written support. The hearing also began discussion of SB 2579 on water-related grants, where agencies said any program would need clearer statutory standards and likely a feasibility study before implementation.

Transcript Highlights:

• stipulates that a candidate for state or local office is not required to provide an additional financial disclosure
• filing the candidate's nomination paper if the candidate has already filed the annual financial disclosure
• There's no need to have double the paperwork within six months for financial disclosure.
• We know that citizens are weighing in saying they want to see more disclosure, not less. I vote no.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1066, which would allow the Attorney General or a county attorney to sue researchers for knowingly or recklessly publishing fraudulent scientific research, and would let injured parties recover damages. The sponsor and a supporting witness argued the bill would create personal accountability for deliberate research fraud and cited examples of retracted or manipulated studies; opponents warned that peer review and existing scientific processes already address bad research and that the bill could chill research and speech. The committee later passed SB 1066 on a 4-3 vote. The committee then heard SB 1015, which would impose strict personal liability on providers who perform gender transition procedures on minors for later detransition costs and related injuries. Supporters, including the sponsor, a doctor, a detransitioner, and a parent, said the bill would protect children, create accountability, and help families seek redress for irreversible harm. Opponents from the ACLU and others argued the measure discriminates against transgender patients, would likely chill care by making providers uninsurable, and could function as a backdoor ban; the committee nevertheless advanced the bill on a 4-3 vote. SB 1049, as amended, limited spousal maintenance to four years and adjusted eligibility and guideline factors. The sponsor and a family law attorney said the bill would curb overly long awards and better account for assets and income, while the Judicial Council explained the existing guideline work and noted the new calculator was intended to add uniformity; one senator objected that the cap was arbitrary and ignored case-specific context. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 4-2. The committee also unanimously passed SB 1189, allowing campaign funds to be used for candidate and family security, and SB 1133, eliminating a duplicate financial disclosure filing for candidates who already filed an annual statement. Finally, the committee heard SB 1081, which would bar a DCS attorney from appearing before a judge after appearing before that judge in any of the attorney’s previous five DCS cases, and advanced it 4-3 after debate over judicial familiarity and rural-court impacts. The committee also heard SCR 1001, a proposed constitutional referral to end early voting the Friday before the election, require proof of citizenship and government ID, and restrict mail ballots to voters who affirmatively request them; supporters framed it as an election-integrity measure, while ADOT testified neutrally but warned that free IDs could cost tens of millions in lost revenue and affect road funding. The transcript ends during testimony on SCR 1001, before any vote on that measure.