Committee action: votes and recommendations from Feb. 19, 2025 House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs hearing

At the conclusion of the Feb. 19, 2025 hearing, Committee Chair Tarnas issued recommendations on each measure heard that day. The committee recorded motions and recommendations for a series of bills, as summarized below. Where a roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript, the committee’s action is noted. Where a vote was announced without full roll-call detail, the chair recorded the committee recommendation and any recorded reservations or excusals.

Votes and committee recommendations (summary) - HB 150 (firearms — lending): Chair recommended the bill “needs work.” No final committee recommendation recorded at the hearing; further drafting requested. - HB 186 (harassment by stalking): Chair recommended deferral to allow sponsor and stakeholders to address grading and prosecution concerns. - HB 991 (criminal-history access / FBI fingerprints): Committee adopted recommended technical amendments and passed the bill. A roll-call was recorded: chair and vice chair aye; Representative Bellotti aye; Representative Hashem aye; Representative Kahalua aye; Representative Peruso aye; Representative Takayama aye; Representative Todd aye; Representative Garcia aye; Representative Shimizu aye. Representative Cochran excused. - HB 995 (firearms reporting): Committee approved the bill as-is; chair noted support and recommended passage. - HB 998 (contents of citations): Committee approved the bill as-is; chair recommended passage. - HB 457 (civil-rights notifications for ICE interviews): Chair recommended deferral, citing legal and funding concerns to be worked out with the Attorney General. - HB 729 (marriage of minors): Committee advanced the bill with technical amendments; recommendation adopted (one recorded reservation noted in the transcript). - HB 994 (promoting sexual exploitation for minors — charging by information): Committee moved bill with technical amendments to permit information-based charging in specified cases. - HB 963 (crimes against elders): Committee moved the bill forward with technical amendments, retaining effective-date language for further review. - HB 1098 (crimes against protective services workers): Committee approved the bill as-is and recommended passage. - HB 359 (covered-offender registration updates): Chair recommended adopting Attorney General amendments and additional technical edits; the committee adopted that recommendation. - HB 389 (uncrewed aircraft offenses): Chair recommended adopting the public-defender–recommended amendments to address Modica concerns and moved the bill forward with those amendments. - HB 979 (summary possession GET-license requirement): Committee approved the measure; chair recommended a delayed effective date (July 1, 2026) to allow Tax Department implementation. - HB 463 (eviction-record sealing): Committee advanced the bill with technical amendments and incorporated elements of the Public First Law Center proposal; noted reservations were recorded by some members and the AG cautioned about blanket sealing and urged case-by-case balancing with First Amendment access. - HB 981 (limits on attorneys' contingency fees in construction-defect cases): Chair recommended deferral to allow further stakeholder meetings and drafting. - HB 22 (limits on local collaboration for immigration enforcement): Chair recommended deferral pending further talks with the Attorney General and county officials to avoid unintended federal consequences.

Recorded procedural notes: Representative Cochran was excused for multiple final roll-call votes. Representative Garcia recorded reservations on several measures; Representative Shimizu also recorded a reservation on HB463. Several committee votes were adopted by voice vote as “recommendation adopted” with the chair noting excused members where applicable.

Ending: Committee staff will prepare committee-report language incorporating technical edits and the chair’s recommended amendments. Sponsors were encouraged to continue working with agencies and stakeholders prior to further floor action.