SCR 163: reaffirming the legislature's commitment to participate as a member legislature in the pacific inter-parliamentary assembly.
- Session Year: 2025-2026
- House: Senate
- Latest Version Date: 2026-04-08
Current Status:
Passed
(2026-04-22: Resolution adopted in final form.)
Introduced
In Committee
First Chamber
In Committee
Second Chamber
Final Decking
Enacted
What does this bill do?
Reaffirms the Hawaii State Legislature's commitment to continue as a member legislature of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the regional body for Pacific parliaments. It says that staying involved will strengthen cooperation between Hawaii and other Pacific legislatures and help address shared priorities like climate resilience, sustainable development, ocean stewardship, cultural preservation, and economic resilience.
The summary is provided by generative AI which can make mistakes. For original language, please view the details in the table below.
reaffirming the legislature's commitment to participate as a member legislature in the pacific inter-parliamentary assembly.
reaffirming the legislature's commitment to participate as a member legislature in the pacific inter-parliamentary assembly.
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
163 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
reaffirming the legislature's commitment to participate as a member legislature in the pacific inter-parliamentary assembly.
WHEREAS, the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group was established in 2019 by parliaments and legislative assemblies across the Pacific region to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation, facilitate the exchange of best legislative practices, and support democratic institutions throughout Oceania; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has participated in the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group since 2019, recognizing Hawaiʻi's unique geographic, cultural, and historical ties to the peoples and nations of the Pacific; and
WHEREAS, in August 2025, member legislatures adopted statutes establishing the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as the successor organization to the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group, expanding the framework for cooperation among Pacific legislatures and formalizing its governance structure as a regional association of Pacific parliaments and legislative assemblies; and
WHEREAS, the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly seeks to strengthen democratic governance, enhance legislative cooperation, and provide a platform for Pacific legislatures to collaborate on shared priorities, including climate resilience, sustainable development, ocean stewardship, cultural preservation, and economic resilience across the region; and
WHEREAS, the vision of the Blue Pacific Continent reflects a shared commitment among Pacific peoples to strengthen regional solidarity, protect the Pacific Ocean, and advance a resilient and prosperous future for the region; and
WHEREAS, Hawaiʻi's geographic location, indigenous heritage, and longstanding cultural and historical connections across Oceania position the State as a natural bridge between Pacific island nations and the United States, fostering dialogue, partnership, and collaboration among Pacific legislatures; and
WHEREAS, continued engagement in the Pacific Inter‑Parliamentary Assembly allows the Legislature to support Pacific-led regional cooperation, exchange legislative expertise, and elevate the voices and priorities of Pacific communities in regional dialogue; and
WHEREAS, the transition from the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group to the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly requires participating legislatures to formally reaffirm their membership under the newly established institutional framework; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body reaffirms its commitment to participate as a member legislature in the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that continued participation in the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly will strengthen parliamentary cooperation between Hawaiʻi and other Pacific legislatures and advance shared priorities across the Pacific region; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; President of the Senate; Speaker of the House of Representatives; President of the East-West Center; Chairman of the Board of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; and Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group Permanent Secretariat from the Assembly of French Polynesia.
Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; Membership
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
163 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
reaffirming the legislature's commitment to participate as a member legislature in the pacific inter-parliamentary assembly.
WHEREAS, the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group was established in 2019 by parliaments and legislative assemblies across the Pacific region to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation, facilitate the exchange of best legislative practices, and support democratic institutions throughout Oceania; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has participated in the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group since 2019, recognizing Hawaiʻi's unique geographic, cultural, and historical ties to the peoples and nations of the Pacific; and
WHEREAS, in August 2025, member legislatures adopted statutes establishing the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as the successor organization to the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group, expanding the framework for cooperation among Pacific legislatures and formalizing its governance structure as a regional association of Pacific parliaments and legislative assemblies; and
WHEREAS, the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly seeks to strengthen democratic governance, enhance legislative cooperation, and provide a platform for Pacific legislatures to collaborate on shared priorities, including climate resilience, sustainable development, ocean stewardship, cultural preservation, and economic resilience across the region; and
WHEREAS, the vision of the Blue Pacific Continent reflects a shared commitment among Pacific peoples to strengthen regional solidarity, protect the Pacific Ocean, and advance a resilient and prosperous future for the region; and
WHEREAS, Hawaiʻi's geographic location, indigenous heritage, and longstanding cultural and historical connections across Oceania position the State as a natural bridge between Pacific Island nations and the United States, fostering dialogue, partnership, and collaboration among Pacific legislatures; and
WHEREAS, continued engagement in the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly allows the Legislature to support Pacific-led regional cooperation, exchange legislative expertise, and elevate the voices and priorities of Pacific communities in regional dialogue; and
WHEREAS, the transition from the Pacific Islands Parliamentary Group to the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly requires participating legislatures to formally reaffirm their membership under the newly established institutional framework; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body reaffirms its commitment to participate as a member legislature in the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that that continued participation in the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly will strengthen parliamentary cooperation between Hawaiʻi and other Pacific legislatures and advance shared priorities across the Pacific region; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; President of the Senate; Speaker of the House of Representatives; President of the East-West Center; Chairman of the Board of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; Secretariat of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; and Parliament of French Polynesia.
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OFFERED BY: |
_____________________________ |
Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly; Membership
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Date
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Status
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| Apr 22, 2026 | Resolution adopted in final form. |
| Apr 22, 2026 | Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 804). |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Transmitted to Senate. |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Adopted with Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2240-26), recommending adoption. |
| Apr 17, 2026 | The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Ratcliffe, Templo, Yamashita; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Tam, Gedeon. |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Resolution scheduled to be heard by ECD on Friday, 04-17-26 8:30AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Referred to ECD, referral sheet 28 |
| Apr 9, 2026 | Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 492) in amended form (SD 1). |
| Apr 9, 2026 | Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1). Transmitted to House. |
| Apr 8, 2026 | One Day Notice 04-09-26. |
| Apr 8, 2026 | Reported from WLA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3552) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1). |
| Mar 30, 2026 | The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WLA were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Lamosao, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Chang. |
| Mar 27, 2026 | The committee(s) on WLA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-30-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference. |
| Mar 19, 2026 | Referred to WLA. |
| Mar 16, 2026 | Offered. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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| Apr 17, 2026 | The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED | House Standing Committee on Economic Development & Technology |
Passed |
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| Mar 30, 2026 | The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS | Senate Standing Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
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Organization
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Position
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Date
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| Pae ʻĀina Communications | *** Support | Apr 17, 2026 |
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Date
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Testimony PDF
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| Apr 17, 2026 | SCR163_SD1_TESTIMONY_ECD_04-17-26_.PDF |
Discussed in Hearing
25SEC
House Standing Committee on Economic Development & Technology
56SEC
House Standing Committee on Economic Development & Technology
1MIN
Senate Standing Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts
54SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):
