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HB1101 • 2026

RELATING TO SAFE SPACES FOR YOUTH PROGRAM.

RELATING TO SAFE SPACES FOR YOUTH PROGRAM.

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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

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Safe Spaces for Homeless Youth Program

This bill makes a pilot program that helps homeless youth permanent, requiring the Office of Youth Services to work with other state agencies to identify and house homeless young people.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes the Safe Spaces for Youth Pilot Program a permanent part of the Office of Youth Services.
  • Requires collaboration between the Office of Youth Services and all state and county departments that provide services for youth and young adults to find and help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
  • Allows the Office of Youth Services to contract with nonprofit organizations to create shelters for homeless youth and young adults.
  • Requires the Office of Youth Services to report on the program's progress before each regular session of the Legislature.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Homeless youth and young adults in Hawaii
  • The Office of Youth Services
  • Nonprofit organizations that provide services for homeless youth

Terms To Know

Safe Spaces for Youth Program
A program within the Office of Youth Services to help homeless and at-risk young people find shelter and support.
Shelter for Homeless Youth
A facility that provides 24/7 lodging, meals, showers, medical care, behavioral health services, education, and employment support for youth and young adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much funding will be available for the program.
  • It is unclear if all state and county departments will fully cooperate with the Office of Youth Services in identifying and housing homeless youth.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-02-06 H

    The committee(s) on HSH recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.

  3. 2025-01-31 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Thursday, 02-06-25 10:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  4. 2025-01-23 H

    Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 3

  5. 2025-01-23 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  6. 2025-01-21 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SAFE SPACES FOR YOUTH PROGRAM.
OYS; Safe Spaces for Youth Program; Homeless Youth and Young Adults; Shelter
Makes the Safe Spaces for Youth Pilot Program permanent within the Office of Youth Services. Requires the program to collaborate with all state and county departments that offer services for youth and young adults to coordinate the identification of youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness and placement of these youth at a shelter for homeless youth or young adults. Authorizes the Office of Youth Services to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide shelters for homeless youth or young adults. Requires the Office of Youth Services to submit a report twenty days prior to the regular session of the Legislature.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB1101

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1101

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO SAFE SPACES FOR YOUTH PROGRAM
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Act 130,
Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, established a safe spaces for youth pilot program
within the department of human services.
�

Act 130 will be repealed on June 30, 2025.
�
The office of youth services has worked on
planning and developing the safe spaces for youth pilot program and, with
appropriations, recommends the pilot program become permanent, and is ready to
open the first state-funded shelter for young adults on the island of Hawaii.

����
The purpose of this Act is to
make the safe spaces for youth pilot program a permanent program within the
office of youth services.

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 352D, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�
352D-
�
�
��
Safe spaces.
�
(a)
�

T
here is established within
the office of youth services a safe spaces for youth program, which shall
provide, subject to the availability of funds, safe spaces in each county for
youth and young adults experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

����
(b)
�
The program shall collaborate with all
departments of the State and its political subdivisions that offer services for
the purpose of ensuring the well-being of youth and young adults in Hawaii,
including the department of education, the department of corrections and
rehabilitation, the department of health, department of human services, the
department of land and natural resources, the department of law enforcement,
the state office on homelessness and housing solutions, the county police
departments and other agencies, and the judiciary, to coordinate the
identification of youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness, and
placement of these youth and young adults at a shelter for homeless youth or
young adults.

����
(c)
�
The office of youth services may enter into
contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide services for youth or young
adults experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
�
Any nonprofit organization contracted under
this subsection shall have the knowledge, experience, and qualifications,
including licenses as needed for child caring institutions, and other
requirements to operate a shelter for youth or young adults at risk of
homelessness or who are experiencing homelessness.
�
Youth under the age of eighteen shall not be
sheltered with young adults eighteen to twenty-four.

����
(d)
�
Notwithstanding any other law to the
contrary, a shelter for homeless youth contracted under subsection (c) may
admit a youth into the shelter's care for up to ninety days without the consent
of the youth's parent or guardian.

����
(e)
�
The office shall submit a report pertaining
to the safe spaces for youth program to the legislature no later than twenty
days prior to the convening of each regular session.

����
(f)
�
The office
may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary to carry out the purposes of
this section.

����
(g)
�
For the purposes of this section:

����
"Shelter for homeless
youth" means a facility that operates to receive youth or young adults
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and provide youth or young adults
with services, including:

����
(1)
�
Overnight lodging and supervision;

����
(2)
�
Hot meals and hot showers;

����
(3)
�
Access to medical and behavioral
health services; and

����
(4)
�
Education and employment support.
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION
4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

BY REQUEST

Report Title:

OYS; Safe
Spaces for Youth Program; Homeless Youth and Young Adults; Shelter

Description:

Makes the
Safe Spaces for Youth Pilot Program permanent within the Office of Youth
Services.
�
Requires the program to
collaborate with all state and county departments that offer services for youth
and young adults to coordinate the identification of youth and young adults who
are experiencing homelessness and placement of these youth at a shelter for
homeless youth or young adults.
�

Authorizes the Office of Youth Services to contract with nonprofit
organizations to provide shelters for homeless youth or young adults.
�
Requires the Office of Youth Services to
submit a report twenty days prior to the regular session of the Legislature.

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