House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs advances multiple bills; several deferred for follow-up

The House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, chaired by Chair Tarnas, heard testimony on numerous bills on Thursday, Feb. 20, and took recommendations on each measure on the same day.

Committee members moved a slate of bills forward — adopting recommendations on helmet rules for young skateboarders, liability protections for repairs of roads with disputed ownership, firearm and harbor firefighting liability clarifications, coffee-labeling protections, and multiple agriculture and labor-related measures. Several bills drew extended debate (notably proposals on increased penalties for excessive speeding and on enhancing penalties for animal cruelty) and were amended before being advanced. The committee deferred measures that members said required more interagency agreement or funding for implementation.

The votes and committee recommendations reflect a mix of safety-focused changes, regulatory clarifications, and technical fixes:

- HB 706 (highway safety): Committee recommended advancing as drafted; DOT testified in support and asked testifiers to summarize key points. - HB 860 (liability for maintenance/repair of disputed roads): Committee recommended advancing as drafted after DOT and DLNR comments; some members registered reservations. - HB 1162 (motorcycle instruction permits): Committee adopted DOT-proposed amendments, including an implementation date requested by Honolulu Motor Vehicle Services (July 1, 2026) and an exemption for training motorcycles. - HB 1259 (engineering study waiver for modest speed reductions): Committee advanced the bill as is; DOT supported the flexibility for school zones and localized speed control. - HB 1158 (firefighting at commercial harbors): Committee advanced as is; DOT (harbors) framed the proposal as expanding available firefighting tools in ports following the Lahaina fires. - HB 54 (excessive speeding): After extended testimony from DOT and the Office of the Public Defender, the chair proposed amendments to raise penalties but not to felony level; the committee adopted the measure with technical amendments and changes to penalty structure. - HB 1334 (wild game meat donation): Committee adopted clarifying amendments preserving DOH/DOA authority on food safety while allowing licensed hunters to donate wild game to nonprofit/charitable organizations. - HB 698 (animal cruelty): Committee approved amendments that reorganize penalty subsections for clarity and advanced the bill with one recorded no vote and a reservation noted by one member. - HB 980 (mongoose/feral poultry): Committee adopted amendments to require humane methods consistent with AVMA guidelines for euthanasia when private landowners act with permission. - HB 1006, HB 1291, HB 966, HB 162 and other agriculture and labor measures: Committee advanced multiple bills, adopting technical or substantive amendments offered by state agencies where noted. - HB 165 (Hawaii Labor Relations Board enforcement authority): Committee deferred the measure to allow the Labor Relations Board and the Attorney General to resolve statutory questions raised by the AG’s office. - HB 915 (dual-line nonpotable water/ reuse): Committee deferred the bill because members said it required funding mechanisms and clearer implementation responsibilities. - HB 1283 (mediation/paternity exemptions for alleged domestic abuse): Committee adopted an amendment deleting redundant statutory language and advanced the bill.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation; noted implementation or next steps): - HB 706 HD1: Recommendation adopted (advance as is). (Tally: not specified in transcript.) - HB 860 HD1: Recommendation adopted (advance as is). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 1162 HD1: Recommendation adopted with DOT amendments and implementation date request (07/01/2026). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 1259 HD1: Recommendation adopted (advance as is). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 1158 HD1: Recommendation adopted (advance as is). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 54 HD1: Recommendation adopted with amendments (see article on HB 54). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 1334 HD2: Recommendation adopted with clarifying amendments preserving DOH/DOA authority. (Tally: not specified.) - HB 698 (animal cruelty): Recommendation adopted with reorganization of penalty subsections; one recorded no vote, one reservation. (Tally: not specified.) - HB 980: Recommendation adopted with AVMA-guideline amendment on humane euthanasia of chickens. (Tally: not specified.) - HB 1006 HD1: Recommendation adopted with a single wording amendment ("used" → "produced"). (Representative Peruso recorded a no.) - HB 1291 HD2: Recommendation adopted (advance as is). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 966 HD1: Recommendation adopted with OP recommendations and DOA-compatibility edits. (Tally: not specified.) - HB 162 HD1: Recommendation adopted (technical edits). (Tally: not specified.) - HB 165 HD1 (HLRB enforcement): Deferred for interagency discussions with the Attorney General. (No committee recommendation adopted.) - HB 915 HD1 (dual-line water supply / reuse): Deferred for reworking; committee cited funding and implementation concerns. (No recommendation adopted.) - HB 1283 HD1: Recommendation adopted with deletion of redundant paragraph referencing HRS 658H-10.

Notes on procedure and next steps: committee members repeatedly asked agencies to work together on measures that involve multiple departments (for instance HB 915 on reuse water and HB 165 on board enforcement authority). Deferred bills were returned to the committee’s docket for future consideration once funding or interagency agreements are resolved.

Evidence: The committee hearing transcript shows oral testimony from agency representatives (DOT, DLNR, DOA, Department of Health), advocacy groups (Hawaiian Humane Society, Hina’s Legacy Rescue Foundation), labor unions, and agency counsel. For specific bills, see individual articles in this package for linked transcript excerpts.