HB1655 • 2026

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: SAYAMA, ILAGAN, KILA, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, OLDS, TAKAYAMA, TAM, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-03-16
Official status: The committee on LBT deferred the measure.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on which specific retirement benefits are negotiable or how the bill changes existing law beyond allowing negotiation of certain retirement benefits.

Public Employment Negotiations

This bill allows public employers and employee representatives to negotiate certain retirement benefits.

What This Bill Does

Allows public employers and the groups representing their employees (called 'exclusive representatives') to discuss and agree on some aspects of retirement benefits.

Who It Names or Affects

Public employers in Hawaii
Employee groups representing workers at public agencies

Terms To Know

exclusive representative: A group chosen by employees to speak on their behalf during negotiations with the employer.
retirement benefits: Benefits given to workers after they stop working, often including pensions and health care.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which retirement benefits can be negotiated.
It is unclear what the effective date of July 1, 2026, means since it seems far in the future.
The bill has been deferred by a committee and its status is still active.

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 public employers to negotiate certain retirement benefits with employee representatives, but it does not specify what those benefits are.

Adds an exception to the list of excluded negotiation topics, allowing for discussions about some retirement benefits.

The exact nature and scope of the retirement benefits that can be negotiated are unclear from the provided text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems unrealistic and likely contains an error.

Bill History

2026-03-16 S
The committee on LBT deferred the measure.
2026-03-12 S
The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 03-16-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-03-10 S
Referred to LBT, WAM.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 147).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Alcos, Muraoka voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 996-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-04 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Alcos; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-03-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Wednesday, 03-04-26 10:00AM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-17 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, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
2026-02-17 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 278-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-10 H
The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-05 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 02-10-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-20 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.
Collective Bargaining; Scope of Negotiations; Exclusions; Retirement Benefits
Allows public employers and exclusive representatives of bargaining units to negotiate certain retirement benefits. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1655

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1655

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to public employment
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 89-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

����
"(d)
�

Excluded from the subjects of negotiations are matters of
classification, reclassification, benefits of but not contributions to the
Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund, recruitment, examination,
and

initial pricing[
, and retirement benefits except as provided in section
88-8(h)
].
�
The employer and the
exclusive representative shall not agree to any proposal that would be
inconsistent with the merit principle or the principle of equal pay for equal
work pursuant to section 76-1 or that would interfere with the rights and
obligations of a public employer to:

����
(1)
�
Direct
employees;

����
(2)
�
Determine
qualifications, standards for work, and the nature and contents of
examinations;

����
(3)
�
Hire,
promote, transfer, assign, and retain employees in positions;

����
(4)
�
Suspend,
demote, discharge, or take other disciplinary action against employees for
proper cause;

����
(5)
�
Relieve
an employee from duties because of lack of work or other legitimate reason;

����
(6)
�
Maintain
efficiency and productivity, including maximizing the use of advanced
technology, in government operations;

����
(7)
�
Determine
methods, means, and personnel by which the employer's operations are to be
conducted; and

����
(8)
�
Take
actions as may be necessary to carry out the missions of the employer in cases
of emergencies.

����
This
subsection shall not be used to invalidate provisions of collective bargaining
agreements in effect on and after June 30, 2007, and except as otherwise
provided in this chapter, shall not preclude negotiations over the
implementation of management decisions that affect terms and conditions of
employment that are subject to collective bargaining.
�
Further, this subsection shall not preclude
negotiations over the procedures and criteria on promotions, transfers,
assignments, demotions, layoffs, suspensions, terminations, discharges, or
other disciplinary actions as subjects of bargaining during collective
bargaining negotiations or negotiations over a memorandum of agreement,
memorandum of understanding, or other supplemental agreement; provided that [
such
]

this
obligation shall not compel either party to agree to a proposal or
make a concession.

����
Violations of the procedures and criteria [
so
]
negotiated may be subject to the grievance procedure in the collective
bargaining agreement."

����
SECTION 2.
�

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

����
SECTION 3.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Collective
Bargaining; Scope of Negotiations; Exclusions; Retirement Benefits

Description:

Allows
public employers and exclusive representatives of bargaining units to negotiate
certain retirement benefits.

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