SB2737 • 2026

RELATING TO BRIBERY.

Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: RHOADS, San Buenaventura
Last action: 2026-04-16
Official status: Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).
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 BRIBERY.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO BRIBERY.
Bribery; Elected Official; Failure to Report; Pecuniary Benefit Establishes the offense of failure to report bribery by a state elected official as a misdemeanor.
Requires a state elected official who knows of or witnesses the conferring, offering, solicitation, or acceptance of a pecuniary benefit in violation of the bribery statute to report the conduct to the Department of the Attorney General, a county prosecuting attorney, a law enforcement agency, the State Ethics Commission, or a county ethics board within sixty days.
Defines "state elected official".

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: SB2737 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2737 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2737 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2737 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2737 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2737 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BRIBERY .

Bill History

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. 697).
2026-04-14 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-09 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
2026-04-09 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1979-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2026-03-18 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Sayama, Cochran.
2026-03-16 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-18-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-12 H
Referred to JHA, referral sheet 17
2026-03-12 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-10 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 290) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-03-10 S
Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) DeCoite, Inouye, Keohokalole, Kim, Lamosao, McKelvey, San Buenaventura. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-06 S
48 Hrs. Notice 3-10-26.
2026-03-06 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).
2026-03-06 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2886) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2026-02-24 S
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.
2026-02-13 S
The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-24-26 9:45AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-02-04 S
Re-Referred to JDC.
2026-01-30 S
Referred to PSM, JDC.
2026-01-26 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-01-23 S
Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO BRIBERY.
Bribery; Elected Official; Failure to Report; Pecuniary Benefit
Establishes the offense of failure to report bribery by a state elected official as a misdemeanor. Requires a state elected official who knows of or witnesses the conferring, offering, solicitation, or acceptance of a pecuniary benefit in violation of the bribery statute to report the conduct to the Department of the Attorney General, a county prosecuting attorney, a law enforcement agency, the State Ethics Commission, or a county ethics board within sixty days. Defines "state elected official". Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2737

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2737

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO BRIBERY
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 710, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part IV to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

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"
�710-

Failure to
report bribery; state and county elected officials.
�
(1)

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A state or county elected official
commits the offense of failure to report bribery when the elected official:

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(a)
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Knows that:

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(i)
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A person has conferred, offered, or
agreed to confer, directly or indirectly, any pecuniary benefit upon the
elected official with the intent to influence the elected official's vote,
opinion, judgment, exercise of discretion, or other action in the elected
official's official capacity in violation of section 710-1040(1)(a); or

��������
(ii)
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The elected official has witnessed:

��������������
(A)
�
A person confer, offer, or agree to
confer, directly or indirectly, any pecuniary benefit upon another state or
county elected official with the intent to influence that elected official's
vote, opinion, judgment, exercise of discretion, or other action in that
elected official's official capacity in violation of section 710-1040(1)(a); or

��������������
(B)
�
Another state or county elected
official solicit, accept, or agree, directly or indirectly, any pecuniary
benefit with the intent that the elected official's vote, opinion, judgment,
exercise of discretion, or other action as an elected official will thereby be
influenced in violation of section 710-1040(1)(b); and

����
(b)
�
Fails to report the known or
witnessed conduct to the department of the attorney general within sixty days
after the date the elected officials knew of or witnessed the conduct.

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(2)
�
Failure to report bribery is a
misdemeanor.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION
4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Bribery;
Elected Official; Failure to Report; Pecuniary Benefit

Description:

Establishes the offense of failure to
report bribery by a state or county elected official as a misdemeanor.
�
Requires an elected official who knows of or
witnesses the conferring, offering, solicitation, or acceptance of a pecuniary
benefit in violation of the bribery statute to report the conduct to the
Department of the Attorney General within sixty days.
�

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