Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Evictions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances eviction-sealing and rental-accountability measures after tenant advocates’ testimony
Summary
The committee moved forward House Bill 463 (eviction-record sealing) and House Bill 979 (requiring GET license number in summary possession filings). Tenant advocates and legal clinics urged adoption to limit long-term harm of eviction records; the attorney general cautioned about constitutional constraints on automatic sealing.
The House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs heard two housing-related measures on Feb. 19, 2025: House Bill 463, which would require courts to make a good-faith effort to seal eviction records under certain conditions, and House Bill 979, which would require a current general excise tax (GET) license number be filed with complaints in summary possession cases and give the Department of Taxation an annual list from the judiciary.
Advocates and legal-service providers described the long-term harm eviction records cause. Daja Ostrowski of the Medical Legal Partnership said many of her clients cannot afford to pursue court remedies and that informal or extrajudicial eviction practices lead to tenancy records that bar tenants from future housing. “These are the folks that you see on the street. These are the folks that are not qualified for any kind of public housing program or voucher because they have an eviction record,” she said.
Supporters argued HB979 prevents noncompliant landlords from using the courts to evict tenants while evading tax or regulatory obligations. Susan Le of Hawaii Appleseed said requiring a GET license number “addresses the issue of noncompliant landlords” and prevents those owners from using court resources to enforce evictions while avoiding licensing and oversight.
Attorney general and constitutional concerns: Deputy Attorney General Alyssa Kao urged caution on automatic, blanket sealing of eviction records. The AG’s office noted that a wholesale sealing mandate could interfere with the First Amendment’s presumptive public right of access to court records and recommended a case‑by‑case approach or targeted redaction to balance privacy and public access.
Committee action: The committee advanced HB979 as drafted and advanced HB463 with technical amendments and additional language recommended by stakeholders, including a Public First Law Center proposal to disassociate names in searchable electronic records as a technical alternative to blanket sealing. Representative Shimizu recorded a vote with reservations on the final drafting for HB463 and Representative Garcia recorded reservations in committee votes on several housing bills.
Ending: Committee staff indicated technical amendment language would be prepared for the committee report; advocates said they will continue to work with the judiciary and legislators to protect tenants’ access to housing while preserving necessary public‑access safeguards.
