URGING STATE AGENCIES AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON SCHOOL OF LAW TO COLLABORATE TO DEVELOP EXTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR LAW STUDENTS TO ASSIST IN THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND UPDATE OF THE HAWAII ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.

SR25

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

25

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

Urging state agencies and the University of Hawaii
William S. Richardson School of Law to collaborate to develop EXTERNSHIP
opportunities for law students to ASSIST IN THE comprehensive review and update
OF the hawaii administrative rules
.

����
WHEREAS, the
Hawaii Administrative Rules are
adopted
by state agencies, including executive departments, offices, boards, and
commissions, to implement legislation and establish operating procedures for
the agency;
and

����
WHEREAS, Hawaii
is the twenty-eighth most regulated state in the country, with 108,741
restrictive regulations in the Hawaii Administrative Rules as of 2023; and

����
WHEREAS,
state agencies often build upon existing administrative rules over time,
contributing to a proliferation of regulations that cause inefficiencies,
outdated policies, and undue burdens on businesses and residents in the State;
and

����
WHEREAS,
while administrative rules play a critical role in the operation of state
programs, research demonstrates that the accumulation of outdated regulations
slows economic growth, increasing rates of poverty, unemployment, and
inflation; and

����
WHEREAS, it
is therefore critical that the Hawaii Administrative Rules be consistently reviewed
and updated to continue to serve the State's best interests; and

����
WHEREAS, state
agencies, however, have expressed to the Legislature that the regular revision
of the Hawaii Administrative Rules would be overly burdensome under current
staffing, budgetary, and operational conditions; and

����
WHEREAS, law
students are optimally suited to alleviate this burden by assisting state
agencies in conducting
a comprehensive
review
and update
of the
ir

a
dministrative
r
ules
through
externship courses (also known as
field placements) for credits that can be counted towards experiential learning
required credits and special project credits
; and

����
WHEREAS,
experiential learning courses enable law students to acquire critical
professional skills through opportunities to practice in real-world or
simulated settings under the supervision of qualified professionals; and

����
WHEREAS, recognizing
the importance of practical experience to professional success, the American
Bar Association requires law students to earn at least six experiential
learning credits; and

����
WHEREAS, the
University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law allows students to
fulfill the experiential learning requirement through simulation courses,
clinical courses, and externships; and

����
WHEREAS, as
state agencies require assistance with the labor-intensive comprehensive review
and update of their administrative rules and the University of Hawaii William
S. Richardson School of Law seeks new externship opportunities for its
students, these entities are uniquely positioned to form a mutually beneficial
partnership; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson
School of Law and state
agencies
are
urged to collaborate to develop
externship

opportunities
for law students to
assist in the
comprehensive review and update of
the
Hawaii Administrative Rules; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
is requested
to
be the first state agency to collaborate with the
University of
Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law
to develop externship opportunities for law students pursuant to this
Concurrent Resolution;
and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor;
Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Comptroller; Chairperson of the
Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Attorney General; Director of Finance;
Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Adjutant General;
Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Chairperson of the Board of
Education; Superintendent of Education; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes
Commission; Director of Health; Director of Human Resources Development;
Director of Human Services; Director of Labor and Industrial Relations;
Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of Law
Enforcement; Director of Taxation; Director of Transportation; President of the
University of Hawaii System; and Dean of the University of Hawaii William S.
Richardson School of Law.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

UH; DCCA;
State
Agencies
; H
awaii Administrative Rules;
Comprehensive
Review and Update;
Law Students;
Externships