HB 1425: RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Hawaii state legislature currently meets for a sixty-day regular legislative session each year, generally stretching from the third Wednesday in January until early May, or approximately three and a half months.  To ensure that legislation remains on track to pass all required legislative committees and satisfy all constitutional requirements during this short timeframe, the legislature sets multiple self-imposed deadlines that bills must meet to advance through the legislative process.  Unfortunately, this often means that bills must be rushed to meet these deadlines.

     One potential way to alleviate this rushed scenario and allow for a more deliberate and mindful legislative process is by providing more time in the legislative calendar, specifically by thoroughly examining the merits and costs of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from a three‑and‑a-half-month session to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     In particular, requiring the legislature to be in session throughout the whole year could improve many facets of the legislative process, including bill drafting, community engagement, and emergency response.  For example, extending the legislative session could allow legislators and stakeholders the additional time needed to craft more thoughtful and effective legislation that better meets the needs of Hawaii residents and businesses.  Legislators would have additional opportunities to engage constituents and work through the multitude of issues facing the State.  The legislature notes that state legislatures with longer legislative sessions may be more likely to craft policies that address the specific concerns of their states, rather than simply applying policies from other states and national lobbying organizations.

     In addition, a year-round legislature would allow the State to more quickly and effectively address natural disasters and other emergencies.  Many natural disasters that the State has experienced occurred when the legislature was not in regular session, including hurricane Iniki, the 2018 Kilauea eruption that destroyed much of Kapoho, and the 2023 Maui wildfires.  Had the legislature been a year-round body, the State may have been able to better address those events.

     The legislature notes that a year-round legislative session would require additional staffing and resources.  These potential costs have not been studied in-depth, and there is not yet a good understanding of the potential financial burden that a year-round legislature would place on taxpayers.

     However, there are analogues that the State can look to as it studies this issue.  The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies California, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania as "full-time" legislatures due to the length of their legislative sessions, the amount of time legislators spend on the job, the pay that legislators receive, and the size of the legislature's staff.  The National Conference of State Legislatures also notes that several other state legislatures meet throughout the year, including in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  Moreover, locally, the legislative bodies of the State's counties also meet throughout the year.

     In 2024, the Hawaii state legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 138, S.D. 1, which requested the legislative reference bureau to "conduct a study of a continuous legislative session, extending the legislative session, and adding additional recess days."  Commissioning this study was an important first step in examining this issue.  The legislature finds that the next step in this process is to bring together relevant stakeholders to examine the feasibility of transitioning to a year-round legislature and to create a plan to initiate this transition.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for three and a half months, from mid‑January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for approximately three and a half months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     (b)  The members of the working group shall include:

     (1)  One member of the senate, to be selected by the senate president, and who shall serve as co‑chair of the working group;

     (2)  One member of the house of representatives, to be selected by the speaker of the house of representatives, and who shall serve as co-chair of the working group;

     (3)  One person to be selected by the governor;

     (4)  The attorney general, or the attorney general's designee;

     (5)  The chief clerk of the senate, or the chief clerk's designee;

     (6)  The chief clerk of the house of representatives, or the chief clerk's designee;

     (7)  One representative from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working group;

     (8)  One representative from Common Cause Hawaii, who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working group; and

     (9)  One representative from the Hawaii State Association of Counties, who shall be invited to serve by the co‑chairs of the working group.

     (c)  The working group may invite to serve on the working group any other persons whom the working group believes have expertise that would be helpful fulfilling the working group's duties pursuant to subsection (d).

     (d)  The working group shall:

     (1)  Study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for approximately three and a half months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year‑round basis;

     (2)  Analyze the financial impact and necessary costs to operate a year-round legislative session, including staffing requirements, changes to legislative services, operational costs, office space needs, and impacts on legislation;

     (3)  Analyze and recommend any constitutional and statutory changes necessary to implement a year-round legislative session; and

     (4)  Examine other states that have transitioned to a year‑round legislature and the impact those transitions have had on the states and their communities.  For the purposes of this paragraph, the working group shall examine California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and any other state deemed appropriate by the working group.

In performing its duties under this subsection, the working group shall consider any findings and recommendations made by the legislative reference bureau in its report to the legislature to be submitted pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 138, S.D. 1, adopted during the regular session of 2024.

     (e)  The working group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026.

     (f)  The legislative reference bureau:

     (1)  Shall provide administrative assistance to the working group;

     (2)  Shall assist the working group in preparing and submitting the report required by subsection (e); and

     (3)  May retain a contractor or consultant to assist the working group perform its duties under this section.

     (g)  The working group shall cease to exist on June 30, 2026.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the purposes of the working group, including procuring services for the study and facilitating working group meetings; provided that the contracting of services using funds appropriated under this section shall be exempt from chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the legislative reference bureau for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Working Group; Year-Round Legislative Session; LRB; Report; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii State Legislature's Regular Session from one that meets for three and a half months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.  Requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to provide administrative support to the working group.  Requires a report to the Legislature.  Appropriates funds.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the legislature.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The Hawaii state legislature currently meets for a sixty-day regular legislative session each year, generally stretching from the third Wednesday in January until early May, or approximately three and a half months.  To ensure that legislation remains on track to pass all required legislative committees and satisfy all constitutional requirements during this short timeframe, the legislature sets multiple self-imposed deadlines that bills must meet to advance through the legislative process.  Unfortunately, this often means that bills must be rushed to meet these deadlines.

     One potential way to alleviate this rushed scenario and allow for a more deliberate and mindful legislative process is by providing more time in the legislative calendar, specifically by thoroughly examining the merits and costs of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from a three‑and‑a-half-month session to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     In particular, requiring the legislature to be in session throughout the whole year could improve many facets of the legislative process, including bill drafting, community engagement, and emergency response.  For example, extending the legislative session could allow legislators and stakeholders the additional time needed to craft more thoughtful and effective legislation that better meets the needs of Hawaii residents and businesses.  Legislators would have additional opportunities to engage constituents and work through the multitude of issues facing the State.  The legislature notes that state legislatures with longer legislative sessions may be more likely to craft policies that address the specific concerns of their states, rather than simply applying policies from other states and national lobbying organizations.

     In addition, a year-round legislature would allow the State to more quickly and effectively address natural disasters and other emergencies.  Many natural disasters that the State has experienced occurred when the legislature was not in regular session, including hurricane Iniki, the 2018 Kilauea eruption that destroyed much of Kapoho, and the 2023 Maui wildfires.  Had the legislature been a year-round body, the State may have been able to better address those events.

     The legislature notes that a year-round legislative session would require additional staffing and resources.  These potential costs have not been studied in-depth, and there is not yet a good understanding of the potential financial burden that a year-round legislature would place on taxpayers.

     However, there are analogues that the State can look to as it studies this issue.  The National Conference of State Legislatures classifies California, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania as "full-time" legislatures due to the length of their legislative sessions, the amount of time legislators spend on the job, the pay that legislators receive, and the size of the legislature's staff.  The National Conference of State Legislatures also notes that several other state legislatures meet throughout the year, including in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  Moreover, locally, the legislative bodies of the State's counties also meet throughout the year.

     In 2024, the Hawaii state legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 138, Senate Draft 1, which requested the legislative reference bureau to "conduct a study of a continuous legislative session, extending the legislative session, and adding additional recess days."  Commissioning this study was an important first step in examining this issue.  The legislature finds that the next step in this process is to bring together relevant stakeholders to examine the feasibility of transitioning to a year-round legislature and to create a plan to initiate this transition.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for three and a half months, from mid‑January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for approximately three and a half months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     (b)  The members of the working group shall include:

     (1)  One member of the senate, to be selected by the president of the senate, and who shall serve as co‑chair of the working group;

     (2)  One member of the house of representatives, to be selected by the speaker of the house of representatives, and who shall serve as co-chair of the working group;

     (3)  One person to be selected by the governor;

     (4)  The attorney general or the attorney general's designee;

     (5)  The chief clerk of the senate or the chief clerk's designee;

     (6)  The chief clerk of the house of representatives or the chief clerk's designee;

     (7)  One representative from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working group;

     (8)  One representative from Common Cause Hawaii, who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working group; and

     (9)  One representative from the Hawaii State Association of Counties, who shall be invited to serve by the co‑chairs of the working group.

     (c)  The working group may invite to serve on the working group any other persons whom the working group believes have expertise that would be helpful fulfilling the working group's duties pursuant to subsection (d).

     (d)  The working group shall:

     (1)  Study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii state legislature's regular session from one that meets for approximately three and a half months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year‑round basis;

     (2)  Analyze the financial impact and necessary costs to operate a year-round legislative session, including staffing requirements, changes to legislative services, operational costs, office space needs, and impacts on legislation;

     (3)  Analyze and recommend any constitutional and statutory changes necessary to implement a year-round legislative session; and

     (4)  Examine other states that have transitioned to a year‑round legislature and the impact those transitions have had on the states and their communities.  For the purposes of this paragraph, the working group shall examine California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and any other state deemed appropriate by the working group.

In performing its duties under this subsection, the working group shall consider any findings and recommendations made by the legislative reference bureau in its report to the legislature to be submitted pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 138, Senate Draft 1, adopted during the regular session of 2024.

     (e)  The working group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2026.

     (f)  The legislative reference bureau:

     (1)  Shall provide administrative assistance to the working group;

     (2)  Shall assist the working group in preparing and submitting the report required by subsection (e); and

     (3)  May retain a contractor or consultant to assist the working group perform its duties under this section.

     (g)  The working group shall cease to exist on June 30, 2026.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the purposes of the working group, including procuring services for the study and facilitating working group meetings; provided that the contracting of services using funds appropriated under this section shall be exempt from chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the legislative reference bureau for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

Report Title:

Working Group; Year-Round Legislative Session; LRB; Report; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii State Legislature's regular session from one that meets for 3.5 months from mid-January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.  Requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to provide administrative support to the working group.  Requires report to Legislature.  Appropriates moneys.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  279

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.B. No. 1425

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 1425 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii State Legislature's Regular Session from one that meets for three and a half months, from mid‑January to early May, to one that meets on a year-round basis.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

     Your Committee finds that the existing limitation in the Hawaii State Constitution restricts the Legislature from being in Regular Session for more than sixty days each year.  That span of time generally lasts about three and a half months.  The constitutional limitation of meeting for only sixty days each year in combination with the practical aspect of working within tight legislative filing deadlines often leads to rushed decision-making and limited community engagement.  Transitioning to a year-round legislature could foster a more deliberate and inclusive legislative process, allowing for better-crafted legislation, more robust community involvement, and quicker responses to emergencies like natural disasters.  However, this shift would require careful consideration of the financial and logistical implications, which have not yet been fully explored.  Therefore, this measure establishes a temporary working group to study the feasibility of transitioning the Hawaii State Legislature to a year-round schedule, ensuring a thoughtful and well-balanced approach to this potential change.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1425, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1425, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,