SB2929 • 2026

RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE.

Technology

Active

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

Sponsor: MCKELVEY, HASHIMOTO, San Buenaventura
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 800).
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 NOTICE.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE.
ETS; Access Hawaii Committee; Public Notices; Electronic Posting Authorizes government agencies to satisfy public notice requirements by electronic posting on official state or county websites or electronic calendars, while preserving traditional publication as an option.
Directs the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in consultation with the Access Hawaii Committee, to adopt rules governing the implementation of electronic notice before the electronic notice authorization takes legal effect.
Effective 7/1/3000.

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: SB2929 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2929 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2929 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: SB2929 HD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2929 HD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2929 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2929 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2929 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2929 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE .

Bill History

2026-04-21 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 800).
2026-04-21 H
House Conferees Appointed: Lee, M., Poepoe, Templo Co-Chairs; Reyes Oda.
2026-04-21 H
Re-referred to LAB, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 31
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. 716).
2026-04-14 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Gedeon voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Cochran, Garcia, Shimizu voting no (4) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-04-10 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-14-26.
2026-04-10 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2134-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-04-07 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama, Cochran.
2026-04-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-23 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Lowen, Perruso, Poepoe, Quinlan excused (6).
2026-03-23 H
Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1316-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-03-17 H
The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Reyes Oda.
2026-03-12 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Tuesday, 03-17-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-10 H
Referred to LAB, JHA, referral sheet 16
2026-03-10 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-06 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 89) in amended form (SD 1).
2026-03-06 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. 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. 2740) 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.
2026-02-20 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-20 S
Reported from GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2628) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-02-12 S
The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Gabbard, Hashimoto, Moriwaki, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-10 S
The committee(s) on GVO deferred the measure until 02-12-26 3:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
2026-02-05 S
The committee(s) on GVO deferred the measure until 02-10-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-02-02 S
The committee(s) on GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 02-05-26 3:01PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
2026-01-30 S
Referred to GVO, WAM.
2026-01-26 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-01-23 S
Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICE.
ETS; Access Hawaii Committee; Public Notices; Electronic Posting
Authorizes government agencies to satisfy public notice requirements by electronic posting on official state or county websites or electronic calendars, while preserving traditional publication as an option. Directs the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in consultation with the Access Hawaii Committee, to adopt rules governing the implementation of electronic notice before the electronic notice authorization takes legal effect. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2929

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2929

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO PUBLIC NOTICE
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that section 1-28.5,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires publication of government notices in
newspapers of general circulation.
�
These
requirements were adopted before widespread electronic access and no longer
reflect the most efficient or accessible means of informing the public.

����
The
legislature further finds that posting notices on official state and county
websites provides greater transparency, accessibility, and timeliness.
�
Aligning public notice requirements with the sunshine
law under section 92-7(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes, will modernize state
communications and ensure consistent public access to government information.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to update the requirements for publication of public
notices by allowing electronic posting on official government websites, while
preserving traditional publication options when necessary.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 1-28.5,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
�1-28.5
�
[
Publication of
]
Public
notice.
�

(a)
�
Notwithstanding any other
statute, law, charter provision, ordinance, or rule to the contrary, whenever a
government agency is required to give public notice or to publish notice, the
notice shall be given [
only
] as follows:

����
(1)
�
For
statewide [
publication:
]
notice:

���������
(A)
�
[
In
a daily or weekly publication of statewide circulation;
]
By posting the
notice on an electronic calendar or website maintained by the State;
or

���������
(B)
�
[
By
]

In a daily or weekly publication of statewide circulation, or by

publication in separate daily or weekly publications whose combined circulation
is statewide; and

����
(2)
�
For
county-wide [
publication, by
]
notice:

���������
(A)
�
By
posting the notice on an electronic calendar or website maintained by the
appropriate county; or

���������
(B)
�
By
publication in a daily or weekly publication in the
affected county.

����
[
(b)
�

For purposes of this section, the comptroller pursuant to chapter 103D
shall determine a publication for all government agencies to enable the public
to go to one source of publication for published public notice on each island.

����
(c)
�

Whenever a public notice is published in a newspaper or other
publication described in subsection (a), proof of the publication shall be the
affidavit of the printer, publisher, principal clerk, or business manager of
the newspaper or other publication or of the designated agent of the group that
published the notice.

����
(d)
�
This section shall not apply to notices
required by chapters 103D, 103F, 127A, and 523A.

����
(e)
�

For purposes of publishing a proposed, revised, or final reapportionment
plan pursuant to section 25-2, public notice shall be permitted in a short
form; provided that each short form public notice shall include the following
information:

����
(1)
�
Whether
the reapportionment plan has been either proposed, revised, or adopted;

����
(2)
�
The
online location to view the reapportionment plan;

����
(3)
�
A list of the
location of each public office where the hard copies of the reapportionment
plan and maps are available; and

����
(4)
�
The public
hearing dates.
]

����
(b)
�

Unless otherwise provided by law, notice shall be posted or published no
less than six calendar days before the required action, meeting, or effective
date.

����
(c)
�

Each agency shall maintain a physical copy of all public notices in its
office for public inspection during regular business hours.

����
(d)
�

Additional supplemental notice may also be given through Hawaii FYI, the
State's interactive computer system[
.
]
, or other electronic means.

����
[
(f)
]
(e)
�
For purposes of this section,
"government agency" means each department, board, commission, or
officer of the State or any of its political subdivisions.
"

����
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:

Public
Notices; Electronic Posting

Description:

Allows
government agencies to satisfy public notice requirements by posting notices on
official state or county websites, while retaining publication as an option.

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