KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Hawaii

HB671 • 2026

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS.

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS.

Active

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

Sponsor
KILA, GARCIA, GRANDINETTI, MATSUMOTO
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text mentions a designation of 'Native Hawaiian notable districts' which differs from the official bill's term 'Native Hawaiian majority districts'.

Identifying Native Hawaiian Majority Districts

This bill requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to find all legislative districts where a majority of people are Native Hawaiians and label these areas as Native Hawaiian majority districts.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to identify legislative districts with a majority Native Hawaiian population.
  • Designates identified districts as Native Hawaiian majority districts for representation purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Native Hawaiians living in areas where they make up more than half of the population.
  • The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) which will be responsible for identifying these districts.

Terms To Know

Legislative Districts
Areas within a state that are represented by elected officials in the legislature.
Native Hawaiian Majority Districts
Legislative districts where more than half of the population is Native Hawaiian.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not provide details on how these designated districts will be used or what benefits they might receive.
  • It is unclear if and when this bill will become law, as it has been carried over to the next legislative session without a specific effective date.

Amendments

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

HD1

1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to identify and designate legislative districts where at least 25% of the population are Native Hawaiians as 'Native Hawaiian notable districts'.

  • The Office of Hawaiian Affairs must identify legislative districts with at least 25% Native Hawaiian residents.
  • These identified districts will be officially recognized as 'Native Hawaiian notable districts'.
  • The amendment specifies an effective date far in the future (July 1, 3000), which is unusual and may indicate a placeholder or error.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-02-05 H

    Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Amato, Souza voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).

  3. 2025-02-05 H

    Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 168) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

  4. 2025-01-31 H

    The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Holt, Tam, Todd, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Templo.

  5. 2025-01-28 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by ECD on Friday, 01-31-25 10:00AM in House conference room 423 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  6. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to ECD, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 2

  7. 2025-01-21 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  8. 2025-01-17 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS.
OHA; Native Hawaiians; Legislative Districts; Recognition
Requires the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to identify all legislative districts in the State in which at least twenty-five per cent of the population consists of Native Hawaiians. Designates these districts as Native Hawaiian notable districts. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB671

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

671

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 201, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�201-
�
Native
Hawaiian majority districts; designation.
�
(a)
�
The department shall identify all legislative
districts in the State in which a majority of the population consists of Native
Hawaiians.

����
(b)
�

Any district identified by the department pursuant to subsection (a)
shall be designated as a Native Hawaiian majority district for purposes of
representation and recognition.
"

����
SECTION 2.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DBEDT; Native
Hawaiians; Legislative Districts; Recognition

Description:

Requires
the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to identify all
legislative districts in the State in which a majority of the population
consists of Native Hawaiians.
�
Designates
these districts as Native Hawaiian majority districts.

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