HB1062 • 2026

RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: NAKAMURA (Introduced by request of another party)
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is July 1, 2025, not July 1, 3000 as mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Rules for Hawaii National Guard Leaders

This bill changes the rules for who can lead parts of the Hawaii National Guard, including allowing higher ranks and more choices for leadership roles.

What This Bill Does

Allows the commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard to hold a rank authorized by the Department of the Air Force, which is currently major general.
Gives the Adjutant General the flexibility to assign either the Chief of Staff or Assistant Adjutant General to lead the Hawaii Air National Guard.
Authorizes the pay and allowances for the Chief of Staff of the Hawaii Air National Guard based on U.S. Regular Air Force pay tables.

Who It Names or Affects

Leaders and members of the Hawaii National Guard, especially those in leadership positions like the Commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard.

Terms To Know

Adjutant General: The top military leader for a state's National Guard who reports to both civilian and military authorities.
Chief of Staff: A high-ranking officer in the Hawaii Air National Guard responsible for advising the commander on operations and planning.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how these changes will affect other parts of the Hawaii National Guard.
It is unclear what impact this change might have on military budgets or personnel policies.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows the Hawaii Air National Guard to be led by a commander with the rank of major general, gives the Adjutant General flexibility in assigning leadership roles, and sets pay based on U.S. Regular Air Force tables.

Allows the head of the Hawaii Air National Guard to hold the rank of major general as authorized by the Department of the Air Force.
Gives the Adjutant General the ability to assign either the Chief of Staff or Assistant Adjutant General to lead the Hawaii Air National Guard.
Sets pay and allowances for the Chief of Staff based on U.S. Regular Air Force tables.

The effective date is set very far in the future (July 1, 3000), which seems unusual and may be a placeholder or error.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 452) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-01-31 H
The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Lamosao, Woodson.
2025-01-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by PBS on Friday, 01-31-25 8:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to PBS, FIN, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD.
Hawaii Air National Guard; Hawaii Army National Guard; Hawaii National Guard; Department of Defense; Rank and Title of Component Heads
Allows the commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard to hold the rank authorized by the Department of the Air Force. Provides the Adjutant General with the flexibility to assign either the Chief of Staff or the Assistant Adjutant General to lead the Hawaii Air National Guard. Authorizes the pay and allowances for the Chief of Staff of the Hawaii Air National Guard to be determined according to the pay tables of the Regular Air Force of the United States. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1062

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1062

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that section 121-12(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, currently
mandates that the Hawaii army national guard and air national guard each be
headed by an assistant adjutant general, with the rank capped at brigadier
general.
�
While most states' national
guard components are federally authorized to be headed by officers with a
maximum rank of brigadier general, the Department of the Air Force has
authorized the Hawaii air national guard to be led by an officer with the rank
of major general, reflecting the organization's size and complexity.
�
Additionally, the chief of staff position for
the Hawaii air national guard is federally authorized at the grade of major
general.

����
Accordingly, the purposes of this Act are
to:

����
(1)
�
Allow
the head of the Hawaii air national guard to hold the rank authorized by the
Department of the Air Force, which is currently major general;

����
(2)
�
Provide
the adjutant general with the flexibility to assign either the chief of staff
or the assistant adjutant general to lead the Hawaii air national guard; and

����
(3)
�
Authorize
the pay and allowances for the chief of staff of the Hawaii air national guard
to be determined according to the pay tables of the regular air force of the
United States.

����
SECTION 2.
�

Section 121-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending
subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�

The headquarters staff of the national guard shall be composed of the
army national guard component, which shall include a selective service section,
and the air national guard component.
�
The
headquarters shall be staffed by [
such
]
the
officers, warrant
officers
,
and enlisted personnel, in the grades and branches of service
as may be authorized by the secretaries of the army and the air force.
�
The army division [
and the air division
]
shall [
each
] be headed by an assistant adjutant general[
, who shall,
while holding the office, have a grade no higher than brigadier general
].
�
The air division shall be headed by a
chief of staff or an assistant adjutant general, as determined by the adjutant
general.

�
The assistant adjutants
general[
,
]
or chief of staff,
when in the full-time employment of
the department of defense, may receive the pay and allowance of their grade as
fixed by the tables of the regular army or air force of the United
States."

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed
and stricken.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act, upon its approval, shall take effect
on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

BY REQUEST

Report Title:

Hawaii Air National Guard; Hawaii Army National Guard;
Hawaii National Guard; Department of Defense; Rank and Title of Component Heads

Description:

Allows the commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard to
hold the rank authorized by the Department of the Air Force.
�
Provides the Adjutant General with the
flexibility to assign either the
Chief of Staff or the Assistant Adjutant
General
to lead the Hawaii Air National Guard.
�
Authorizes the pay and allowances for the Chief
of Staff of the Hawaii Air National Guard to be determined according to the pay
tables of the Regular Air Force of the United States.
�
Effective 7/1/2025.

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