RELATING TO A REGULAR SESSION REVIEW WORKING GROUP.

HB2469

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2469

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO A REGULAR SESSION REVIEW WORKING GROUP
.

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

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SECTION 1.
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(a)
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The
legislature notes that House Concurrent Resolution No. 138, H.D. 1, S.D.1
(2024) (H.C.R. No. 138) requested the legislative reference bureau (bureau)
to conduct a study of "a continuous legislature, extending the regular
session, and adding additional recess days" to the regular session.
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In addition, H.C.R. No. 138 requested that
the bureau:

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(1)
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Discuss the pros and cons of a continuous
legislative session, extending the legislative session, and adding additional
recess days;

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(2)
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Focus on what a continuous legislative
calendar, extended legislative calendar, and a legislative calendar day [sic] with
additional recess days for the State may look like, including bill and budget
deadlines; and

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(3)
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Examine salary needs for full-time legislators
and staff.

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(b)
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The legislature recognizes that the bureau has
conducted and completed the requested study and submitted its report, "Sine
Die Another Day:
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Should Hawaii's
Legislative Sessions Be Longer?", to the legislature.
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In conducting the study, the bureau:

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(1)
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Reviewed applicable state constitutional and
statutory provisions and legislative rules impacting legislative sessions and
the State's typical regular session calendar to establish a contextual basis
for requirements and limitations that have shaped the current regular session
framework and duration;

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(2)
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Solicited information regarding ways in which
a lengthened or continuous regular session could affect costs and operations of
those entities most likely to be directly affected by a longer regular session;

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(3)
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Examined the relevant legal provisions and
legislative calendars of California, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,
and Michigan, which have significantly longer regular sessions than Hawaii, and
of the councils of Hawaii's four counties, which meet year‑round;

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(4)
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Explored certain legal and practical
limitations to consider when contemplating a lengthened or continuous regular
session;

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(5)
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Provided mock-up legislative calendars
illustrating hypothetical longer regular sessions that utilize additional
recess days for 2026, an election year, and 2027, a non-election year; and

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(6)
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Discussed other potential impacts and factors
to consider with respect to a lengthened or continuous regular session,
including a review of legislator and staff compensation.

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(c)
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The legislature makes the following
observations based on the bureau's report:

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(1)
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The duration of Hawaii's annual regular
session appears to generally fall within the same timeframe as regular sessions
in a majority of other states.
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Also,
some states that may technically have longer legislative sessions do not
necessarily meet and conduct formal business throughout these entire periods;

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(2)
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There does not seem to be a "one-size-fits-all"
legislative session model that the Hawaii state legislature could easily adopt
to lengthen its regular session, without making significant modifications and
without necessitating significant statutory and constitutional amendments;

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(3)
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The state constitution requires regular
sessions to commence annually at 10:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday in January
and to run for not more than 60 session days, and requires that each chamber
provide, by rule, a bill introduction deadline;

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(4)
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However, the legislature appears to otherwise
have broad discretion to determine its regular session calendar.
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Regular sessions may be lengthened by adding
recess days pursuant to an agreement between the House and Senate, which would
not require constitutional or statutory amendments;

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(5)
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Fiscal bills, which generally comprise a
supermajority of all bills introduced each year, usually have an effective date
of July 1st (the beginning of the fiscal year) to ensure timely passage and
avoid creating economic uncertainty and disruption of public services;

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(6)
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The legislative process should continue to
prioritize enactment of fiscal bills well before July 1, regardless of how long
a regular session lasts; and

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(7)
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A specific schedule for a "longer"
session is needed to determine operating expenses and staffing needs.

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(d)
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The legislature further recognizes that the
bureau's report suggested that:

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(1)
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The legislature first determine the essential
timing and framework for a desirable lengthened legislative calendar for
election and non-election years;

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(2)
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Establishing specific and concrete proposals
regarding the duration of a lengthened regular session calendar would allow
parties having direct in-depth knowledge regarding potential fiscal,
operational, administrative, legal, and labor impacts within the legislative
environment to more accurately frame staffing and budgetary needs and other
operational issues; and

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(3)
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This approach would facilitate the preparation
of a more complete and reliable assessment of the feasibility and cost of
establishing a lengthened or continuous regular session.

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(e)
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
establish a regular session review working group to consider the suggestions
proposed by the bureau's report.

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SECTION
2.
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(a)
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There is established a regular session review working group to determine
the essential timing and effective framework for a lengthened legislative session
calendar for election and non-election years.

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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 senate president, 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, who shall serve as
co-chair of the working group;

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(3)
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The chair of the senate standing committee on
ways and means, or the chair's designee;

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(4)
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The chair of the house standing committee on
finance, or the chair's designee;

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(5)
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The attorney general, or the attorney general's
designee;

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(6)
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The comptroller, or the comptroller's
designee;

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(7)
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The chief election officer, or the chief
election officer's designee;

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(8)
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The chief clerk of the senate, or the chief
clerk's designee; and

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(9)
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The chief clerk of the house of
representatives, or the chief clerk's designee.

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(c)
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The co-chairs of the working group shall
invite:

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(1)
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The Hawaii State Association of Counties to
designate one representative to serve as a member of the working group; and

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(2)
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The League of Women Voters of Hawaii to
designate one representative to serve as a member of the working group.

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(d)
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The co-chairs of the working group may invite
other persons to serve as working group members who the co‑chairs believe
will effectively assist in fulfilling the working group's duties pursuant to
subsections (a) and (e).

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(e)
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In making the determinations required by
subsection (a), 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 from mid-January
to early May to one that is lengthened, which for the purposes of this Act
means any regular session that is of significantly longer duration than Hawaii's
typical January-to-May regular session;

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(2)
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Analyze the financial impacts and necessary
costs to operate lengthened regular sessions, 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, statutory,
and legislative rule changes necessary to implement lengthened regular
sessions;

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(4)
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Examine other states that have lengthened sessions,
as deemed appropriate by the working group; and

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(5)
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Consider the findings and suggestions made by the
legislative reference bureau in its report submitted pursuant to House
Concurrent Resolution No. 138, H.D. 1, S.D.1 (2024).

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(f)
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The co-chairs of the regular session review
working group may contract the services of a qualified facilitator to
facilitate its meetings if the co-chairs deem it appropriate.
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Any contract subject to this subsection shall
be exempt from chapter 103D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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(g)
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The regular session review 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 2028.

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(h)
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The legislative reference bureau s
hall provide assistance to the
working group in finalizing the working group's report and drafting any
proposed legislation; provided that the working group shall submit a draft
report to the bureau no later than October 31, 2027.

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(i)
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The regular session review working group
shall be exempt from part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

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(j)
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The regular session review working group
shall be dissolved on June 30, 2028.

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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 $100,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to facilitate meetings of the
regular session review working group; 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 senate for the purposes of this Act.

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SECTION
4.
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There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $100,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to facilitate meetings of the
regular session review working group; 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 house of representatives for the purposes
of this Act.

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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

LRB; Legislature;
Regular Sessions; Length; Working Group; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
a Regular Session Review Working Group to determine the essential timing and effective
framework for a lengthened legislative calendar for election and non-election
years.
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Requires a report to the
Legislature.
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Requires report
finalization and drafting assistance from the Legislative Reference
Bureau.
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Appropriates moneys.

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