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HB1657
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1657
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
.
�
Chapter
76
, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to
part I to
be
appropriately designated and to read as follows:
����
"
�
76-
�
Recruitment;
hiring; state departments, divisions, and agencies
; rules
.
�
(a)
�
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a
ny
state department, division, or agency may
elect to assume the hiring and recruitment functions
from the director of human resources development for
vacant positions within that department,
division, or agency
.
�
The functions shall
includ
e
but
not
be
limited to:
����
(1)
�
Composing
position descriptions;
����
(2)
�
Accepting
applicants for
the
vacant positions;
����
(3)
�
Completing
minimum qualification reviews
of applicants
;
����
(4)
�
Conducting
interviews; and
����
(5)
�
Directly
hiring applicants who meet the minimum qualifications of
the
position.
����
(b)
�
Any
state department, division, or agency
that elects to assume the hiring and recruitment functions
for a vacancy pursuant to subsection (a)
shall:
����
(1)
�
Provide
written notice of its election to
the department of human resources
development
; and
����
(2)
�
Perform all
recruitment
and hiring activities
in a manner consistent with the provisions of this
chapter and in compliance with any policies, standards, and procedures issued
by the director of human resources development.
����
(c)
�
The election of a state department, division,
or agency to assume
the hiring and recruitment
functions
for a vacancy
pursuant to this section shall:
����
(1)
�
Apply
to recruitment and hiring activities initiated after June 30, ;
and
����
(2)
�
Be
effective until the state department, division, or agency provides written
notice to the
department of human resources development
of
its decision to cancel its election.
����
(d)
�
The department of
human resources
development
shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter
91 necessary to implement this section.
"
����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section
26-5
,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection
s
(
a
)
and (b)
to read as follows:
����
"(a)
�
The department of human resources development
shall be headed by a single executive to be known as the director of human
resources development.
�
The director
shall:
����
(1)
�
Facilitate and expedite the hiring and
recruitment for civil service positions under the jurisdiction of the
department of human resources development;
provided that
a
ny
state department,
division, or agency may
elect to assume the
hiring and recruitment functions from the director of human resources
development for
vacant positions
within that department, division, or agency
pursuant to section 76- ;
and
����
(2)
�
Have the authority to reclassify and
abolish vacant positions within state departments and agencies that are under
the jurisdiction of the department of human resources development, subject to
the following conditions:
���������
(A)
�
Prior to reclassifying or abolishing
any vacant position as provided under this paragraph, the director shall submit
a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to each regular
session.
�
The report shall include a list
of vacant positions for reclassification or abolishment, identify the agency
each position is attached to, provide reasons for reclassifying or abolishing
the position, and state the duration that the position has been vacant; and
���������
(B)
�
The director may reclassify or abolish any
vacant position as provided under this paragraph no earlier than sixty days
after the report has been submitted to the legislature as provided under
subparagraph (A).
����
(b)
�
The department shall administer the state
human resources program, including human resources development and training,
and central human resources services such as recruitment, examination,
classification, pay administration, and payment of any claims as required under
chapter 386
[
.
]
; provided that
a
ny
state department,
division, or agency may
elect to assume the
recruitment
functions
from the department of human
resources development for
vacant
positions within that department, division, or agency
.
"
����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 76-22.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
repealed.
����
["
[�76-22.6]
�
Recruitment; minimum qualification review; state departments, divisions,
and agencies.
�
(a)
�
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a state department,
division, or agency, rather than the department of human resources development,
may conduct a minimum qualification review of applicants for vacant positions
within that department, division, or agency.
����
(b)
�
A state department, division,
or agency that elects to conduct its own minimum qualification review of
applicants for a vacancy pursuant to subsection (a) shall notify the department
of human resources development, which shall provide to the department,
division, or agency:
����
(1)
�
For positions with a recruitment
closing date, the applications received for the vacancy received by the closing
date for that vacancy; or
����
(2)
�
For continuous recruitment positions,
the
applications received for the vacancy that have been received by a certain
date, as determined by the state department, division, or agency; provided that
the department of human resources development shall continue to transmit
applications for that position on a reasonable rolling basis until the
particular vacancy is filled;
provided further that the department of human
resources development shall submit the applications received for a vacancy
immediately to a state department, division, or agency if requested by the
applicable state department, division, or agency.
����
(c)
�
Upon completing the minimum
qualification review of applicants for a vacancy, the state department,
division, or agency shall submit to the department of human resources
development the applications for individuals who have met the minimum
qualifications for the vacancy
; provided that the state department,
division, or agency may immediately begin interviewing applicants that have
been determined to meet the minimum qualifications for the vacant
position.
�
The department of human resources
development shall complete any other tasks necessary to facilitate the hiring
of the applicants, including auditing and correcting any errors found in the
minimum qualification review, as applicable; provided further that if any
errors are found, the department of human resources development shall have five
working days to correct the error and notify the state department, division, or
agency.
"
]
����
SECTION
4
.
�
Statutory material to be
repealed is bracketed and stricken.
�
New
statutory material is underscored.
����
SECTION
5
.
�
This Act shall take effect
upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
DHRD;
Civil
Service Positions;
State
Departments, Divisions, and Agencies; Recruitment
and
Hiring
; Rules
Description:
Authorizes
state department
s
,
division
s
,
and
agencies
to
elect to assume hiring and
recruitment functions from the
Department of H
uman
R
esources
D
evelopment for
vacant
civil service
positions
within that department, division, or agency
under certain conditions
.
�
Requires the Department of H
uman
R
esources
D
eve
lopment to adopt rules.
�
Repeals existing law authorizing state
departments, divisions, and agencies to conduct minimum qualification review of
applicants for their vacant civil service positions.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.