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HB1425
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1425
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to the legislature
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION
1.
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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.
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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.
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Unfortunately, this often means that bills must be rushed to meet these
deadlines.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Legislators
would have additional opportunities to engage constituents and work through the
multitude of issues facing the State.
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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.
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In
addition, a year-round legislature would allow the State to more quickly and effectively
address natural disasters and other emergencies.
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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.
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Had the legislature been
a year-round body, the State may have been able to better address those events.
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The
legislature notes that a year-round legislative session would require
additional staffing and resources.
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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.
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However,
there are analogues that the State can look to as it studies this issue.
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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.
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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.
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Moreover, locally, the legislative bodies of
the State's counties also meet throughout the year.
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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."
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Commissioning this study was an important
first step in examining this issue.
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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.
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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.
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SECTION 2.
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(a)
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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.
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(b)
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The members of the working group shall include:
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(1)
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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;
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(2)
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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;
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(3)
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One person to be selected by the governor;
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(4)
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The attorney general or the attorney general's
designee;
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(5)
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The chief clerk of the senate or the chief
clerk's designee;
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(6)
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The chief clerk of the house of
representatives or the chief clerk's designee;
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(7)
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One representative from the League of Women
Voters of Hawaii, who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working
group;
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(8)
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One representative from Common Cause Hawaii,
who shall be invited to serve by the co-chairs of the working group; and
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(9)
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One representative from the Hawaii State
Association of Counties, who shall be invited to serve by the co‑chairs
of the working group.
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(c)
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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).
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(d)
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The working group shall:
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(1)
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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;
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(2)
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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;
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(3)
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Analyze and recommend any constitutional and
statutory changes necessary to implement a year-round legislative session; and
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(4)
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Examine other states that have transitioned to
a year‑round legislature and the impact those transitions have had on the
states and their communities.
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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.
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(e)
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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.
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(f)
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The legislative reference bureau:
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(1)
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Shall provide administrative assistance to the
working group;
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(2)
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Shall assist the working group in preparing
and submitting the report required by subsection (e); and
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(3)
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May retain a contractor or consultant to
assist the working group perform its duties under this section.
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(g)
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The working group shall cease to exist on June 30, 2026.
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SECTION 3.
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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.
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The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the legislative reference bureau for the
purposes of this Act.
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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
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.
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Requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to
provide administrative support to the working group.
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Requires report to Legislature.
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Appropriates moneys.
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