SB2014 • 2026

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Active

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

Sponsor: INOUYE
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 718).
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 PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.
DHRD; Vacant Positions; Reclassification; Abolishment; Report; Lapsing of Funds Requires the Director of Human Resources Development to abolish vacant positions within state departments and agencies under its jurisdiction that have been vacant for more than 5 years with certain exceptions.
Requires funds for abolished positions to immediately lapse to the credit of the appropriate fund.
Requires a list of positions abolished to be included in the Director's annual report to the Legislature.

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.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: SB2014 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2014 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2014 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2014 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2014 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2014 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT .

Bill History

2026-04-21 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 718).
2026-04-21 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Elefante Chair; Moriwaki Co-Chair; Lamosao.
2026-04-16 H
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).
2026-04-16 S
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
2026-04-16 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 612).
2026-04-14 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Poepoe, Reyes Oda, Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato, Grandinetti, Hartsfield, Hussey, Iwamoto, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Olds, Perruso voting no (8) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-10 H
Deferred one day 04-14-26.
2026-04-10 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2054-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-04-08 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Hartsfield, Perruso; and Excused: none.
2026-04-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Wednesday, 04-08-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-24 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) Garrett, Quinlan excused (2).
2026-03-24 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1360-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-03-19 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.
2026-03-16 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 03-19-26 9:35AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-10 H
Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 16
2026-03-10 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-06 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 33) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-03-06 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) McKelvey, San Buenaventura. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Ihara). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-05 S
One Day Notice 03-06-26.
2026-03-05 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2753) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-03 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.
2026-02-25 S
The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 03-03-26 10:15AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-23 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-25-26 10:57AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-18 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-18 S
Reported from LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2317) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-02-11 S
The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Elefante, Lamosao, Moriwaki, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara.
2026-02-06 S
The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-01-22 S
Referred to LBT, WAM.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-14 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.
DHRD; Vacant Positions; Reclassification; Abolishment; Report; Lapsing of Funds
Requires the Director of Human Resources Development to abolish vacant positions within state departments and agencies under its jurisdiction that have been vacant for more than 5 years with certain exceptions. Requires funds for abolished positions to immediately lapse to the credit of the appropriate fund. Requires a list of positions abolished to be included in the Director's annual report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2014

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2014

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
.
�
The legislature finds that a significant
number of government positions are funded but currently vacant, and that they have
remained so for multiple years.

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
eliminate wasteful spending by requiring the abolishment of any public
employment position that has been vacant for more than five years if the hiring
department or agency has not certified that they are awaiting approval to hire
for that position.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 26-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) 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; 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
]
Except as provided
in subparagraph (C); before
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)[
.
]
;

���������
(C)
�
The director shall abolish any position that
has been vacant for more than five years; provided that the time a position has
been vacant shall be computed beginning on the date the position was created or
vacated by a state employee; provided further that this requirement shall not
apply to positions for which the hiring department or agency certifies that it
is awaiting approval to hire.
�
Funds for
positions abolished under this subparagraph shall immediately lapse to the
credit of the general fund; and

����
����
(D)
�
The report
required
to be submitted to the legislature pursuant to subparagraph (A)
shall

include:

��������������
(i)
�
A

list of vacant positions
that will be
reclassif
ied or
abolish
ed,
the
agency each position is attached to
, t
he duration that the position
has been vacant
, and the r
easons for
the
reclassif
ication
or
abolish
ment;
and

����
��������
(ii)
�
A list of positions abolished pursuant to
subparagraph (C).
"

����
SECTION 3.
�

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

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DHRD;
Vacant Positions; Reclassification; Abolishment; Report; General Fund

Description:

Requires
the Director of Human Resources Development to abolish vacant positions within
state departments and agencies under its jurisdiction that have been vacant for
more than 5 years.
�
Requires a list of
positions abolished to be included in the Director's annual report to the
Legislature.
�
Requires funds for
abolished positions to immediately lapse to the credit of the general fund.

The summary description
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