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HB1396 • 2026

RELATING TO CUSTODIAL INTERFERENCE.

RELATING TO CUSTODIAL INTERFERENCE.

Children Crime Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
PIERICK
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Making It Illegal to Take Away Kids Without Permission from Parents Who Established Paternity

This bill makes it a crime to take, entice, conceal, or detain a minor from someone who has custody rights based on voluntary paternity establishment.

What This Bill Does

  • Includes taking away kids without permission from parents who established paternity as a form of custodial interference in the first degree.
  • Defines 'voluntary establishment of paternity' as when both parents sign the birth certificate and file a special form at the hospital or health department.
  • Makes it a felony to remove a minor from Hawaii if someone takes, entices, conceals, or detains them without legal right.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Parents who establish paternity voluntarily
  • People who take kids from those with custody rights based on voluntary paternity establishment

Terms To Know

voluntary establishment of paternity
When both parents sign the birth certificate and file a special form to establish legal fatherhood.
custodial interference in the first degree
A serious crime involving taking, enticing, concealing, or detaining a minor from someone who has custody rights.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not affect cases that started before it becomes law.
  • It is unclear how this will be enforced and what the penalties will be for those who break the new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-27 H

    Referred to HSH, JHA, referral sheet 4

  3. 2025-01-23 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CUSTODIAL INTERFERENCE.
Custodial Interference; Voluntary Establishment of Paternity
Includes in the crime of custodial interference in the first degree the taking, enticing, concealing, or detaining of a minor from a person who has a right to custody pursuant to a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB1396

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1396

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to custodial interference
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section
707-726, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�707-726
�
Custodial interference
in the first degree.
�
(1)
�
A person commits the offense of custodial
interference in the first degree if:

����
(a)
�
The person:

���������
(i)

Intentionally or
knowingly violates a court order issued pursuant to chapter 586, or
intentionally or knowingly takes, entices, conceals, or detains the minor from
any other person who has a right to custody pursuant to a court order,
judgment, [
or
] decree[
;
]
, or the voluntary establishment of
paternity;
and

���������
(ii)

Removes the minor
from the State;

����
(b)
�
The person
intentionally or knowingly takes, entices, conceals, or detains a minor less
than eleven years old from that minor's lawful custodian, knowing that the
person had no right to do so; or

����
(c)
�
The person, in the
absence of a court order determining custody or visitation rights,
intentionally or knowingly takes, detains, conceals, or entices away a minor
with the intent to deprive another person or a public agency of their right to
custody, and removes the minor from the State.

����
(2)
�

It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section that
the person had "good cause" for the violation of a court order issued
pursuant to chapter 586, for the taking, detaining, concealing, or enticing
away of the minor, or for removing the minor from the State; provided that the
person asserting the affirmative defense filed a report with the clerk of the
family court detailing the whereabouts of the minor, the person who took,
enticed, detained, concealed, or removed the minor or child, and the
circumstances of the event as soon as the filing of the report was practicable;
and provided further that the person asserting the affirmative defense also
filed a request for a custody order as soon as the filing of the request was
practicable.

����
As used in this section, "good
cause" means a good faith and reasonable belief that the taking,
detaining, concealing, enticing away, or removing of the minor is necessary to
protect the minor from immediate bodily injury.

����
(3)
�

The identity and address of the person reporting under subsection (2)
shall remain confidential unless the information is released pursuant to a
court order.

����
(4)
�

Custodial interference in the first degree is a class C felony.

����
(5)
�
For purposes of this section, "voluntary
establishment of paternity" means that the persons establishing paternity at
the time of the minor's birth signed the minor's birth certificate and filed a
voluntary establishment of paternity form with the birthing hospital or
department of health.
"

����
SECTION 2.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

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

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Custodial
Interference; Voluntary Establishment of Paternity

Description:

Includes
in the crime of custodial interference in the first degree the taking,
enticing, concealing, or detaining of a minor from a person who has a right to custody
pursuant to a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity.

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