HB1516 • 2026

RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE.

Active

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

Sponsor: TARNAS, AMATO, GRANDINETTI, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, PERRUSO, POEPOE, SHIMIZU, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TEMPLO
Last action: 2026-05-06
Official status: Recommitted to Conference committee as amended in CD 1 with none voting no and Representative(s) La Chica excused.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE.
Pretrial Release; Bail Requires certain factors to be considered when determining a defendant's financial ability to afford bail.
Effective 1/1/2027.
(CD1)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

CD1

Hawaii published version CD1

Plain English: HB1516 CD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1516 CD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1516 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB1516 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1516 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1516 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE .

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: HB1516 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB1516 SD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
1516 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII S.D.

Bill History

2026-05-06 H
Recommitted to Conference committee as amended in CD 1 with none voting no and Representative(s) La Chica excused.
2026-05-01 S
Failed to pass Final Reading. Ayes, 11; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 13 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCoite, DeCorte, Dela Cruz, Elefante, Fevella, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kidani, Kim, Lamosao, McKelvey, Moriwaki). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Fukunaga).
2026-05-01 H
Deferred one day 05-06-26.
2026-04-29 S
48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-01-26
2026-04-29 S
Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 20-26).
2026-04-29 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Friday, 05-01-26.
2026-04-29 H
Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 20-26) as amended in (CD 1).
2026-04-23 H
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Belatti, Poepoe; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-04-23 S
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, San Buenaventura, Chang; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-04-22 S
Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-23-26 2:35PM; Conference Room 325.
2026-04-21 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 717).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Rhoads Chair; San Buenaventura, Chang.
2026-04-20 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).
2026-04-20 H
House Conferees Appointed: Tarnas Chair; Belatti, Poepoe, Garcia.
2026-04-17 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 780).
2026-04-16 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2026-04-14 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 578) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-04-14 S
Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Elefante, McKelvey, Moriwaki. Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte, Fevella). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-04-09 S
48 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
2026-04-09 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2026-04-09 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3659) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2026-03-17 S
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-12 S
The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-26 9:55AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 236).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Gedeon, Kila, Matsumoto, Olds, Pierick, Shimizu voting no (8) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-05 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumoto, Pierick voting no (5) and Representative(s) Perruso excused (1).
2026-03-05 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 920-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2026-03-04 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
2026-03-04 H
The votes in JHA were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
2026-03-04 H
Reconsideration of action taken on 02-19-26.
2026-03-02 H
Bill scheduled for reconsideration of previous decision by JHA on 03-04-26 2:00PM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-19 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; and Excused: none.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-19-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-14 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO PRETRIAL RELEASE.
Pretrial Release; Bail
Requires certain factors to be considered when determining a defendant's financial ability to afford bail. Effective 1/1/2027. (CD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1516

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1516

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO PRETRIAL RELEASE
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
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Section 804-9,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

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"
�804-9
�
Amount.
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The amount of bail rests in the discretion of
the justice or judge or the officers named in section 804-5 and shall be set in
a reasonable amount based upon all available information, including the offense
alleged, the possible punishment upon conviction, and the defendant's financial
ability to afford bail.
�
The
defendant's financial ability to afford bail shall be subject to the following
considerations to the extent known:

����
(1)
�
Any income
derived from public benefits, including supplemental security income, social
security disability insurance, and temporary assistance for needy families,
shall be excluded from consideration; and

����
(2)
�
If the
defendant's household income, exclusive of any income derived from public
benefits, exceeds one hundred fifty per cent of the federal poverty level for
Hawaii, the amount the defendant could reasonably pay within forty hours of
arrest shall be considered.

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The bail
amount should be so determined as not to suffer the wealthy to escape by the
payment of a pecuniary penalty, nor to render the privilege useless to the
poor."

����
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.

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SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Pretrial
Release; Bail

Description:

Requires
certain factors to be considered when determining a defendant's financial
ability to afford bail.

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