Joint committees advance a slate of public safety, veterans and corrections bills; several measures deferred

A pair of joint hearings by the House committees on Human Services & Homelessness and on Public Safety on March 12, 2025 moved multiple bills forward, passing several with amendments and deferring others for further work.

The most immediate actions included advancing SB951 SD2, which would require mandatory child abuse and neglect reports to include a household’s military status and improve communication between the Department of Human Services and the U.S. Department of Defense; passage of SB1377 SD2 to create a veterans cemeteries board within the state Office of Veterans Services; approval of SB1382 making intentional bodily injury to National Guard members in the line of duty a felony; passage of corrections-related reforms in SB104 SD2 regarding restrictive housing; and committee votes to advance emergency-management language in SB353 SD2. Committees deferred SB1379 (community readiness centers) and SB371 (property damage to critical infrastructure) for further consideration on March 19.

Why it matters: The measures touch public-safety operations, veterans services, emergency preparedness and corrections policies with state-level implications for how agencies coordinate with federal partners, how veterans’ burial sites are supported, how the National Guard is legally protected when deployed for emergencies, and how the state manages restrictive housing and fitness-to-proceed processes in its justice system.

SB951 (child protection — military status) Department of Defense representatives testified in support and described a “coordinated community response” that involves military entities working with civilian child-protection systems to ensure safety when service members or their dependents are involved. Kelly Mae Douglas of the U.S. Department of Defense told the committees, “I will stand on our written testimony submitted,” and Kathleen Charantona (DoD) answered questions as a subject matter expert. Gary Moai, appearing for the Department of Human Services on behalf of Director Ryan Yimani, said DHS is working on memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and staff training and asked for time to complete them. Moai told members the department was collaborating on an MOU and that scheduling meetings with all partners has been the primary holdup.

The committee report adopted language to make technical edits and moved the bill with an effective date change to July 1, 2025 to give DHS time to finalize MOUs and training. Chair Lisa Martin noted the chair’s recommendation to pass with technical amendments and to change the effective date; the recorded roll call for the House committee included Representatives Amato, Chun, Keohokapu Lilloi and Takinouchi voting “aye” (other members were noted as excused). The Public Safety committee recorded its own “aye” votes and adopted the chair’s recommendation.

SB1377 (veterans cemeteries board) John Alomodin, director of the Office of Veterans Services, testified in support and explained the bill would establish a veterans cemeteries board within the state Department of Defense to provide guidance, education and technical assistance to county-run veterans cemeteries. Alomodin told the committees that some county cemeteries had previously been found noncompliant with National Cemetery Administration standards and that remedial plans had followed. He said one island (East Hawaii 2 in Hilo) remained noncompliant after a prior inspector-general review and that reimbursements tied to federal standards can be suspended until compliance is restored.

Alomodin described alternatives the department considered (including statewide acquisition) and said an outright state takeover would be cost-prohibitive; the department’s initial engineering estimate to acquire the Hawaii Island cemeteries was “just shy of $4,000,000” for initial outlays of equipment and staffing. He said the proposed board is intended to provide state-level oversight and assistance—training, technical help and grant-readiness support—without obligating counties to forfeit operations. The measure passed the committee on the record; members voted to pass SB1377 SD2 as presented.

SB1382 (offenses against National Guard members) Brigadier General Ross of the Hawaii National Guard and Captain Thomas Chang of the Honolulu Police Department testified in support. Ross described instances during recent responses—most notably on Maui—where Guard members were engaged by members of the public and in some cases involved in physical altercations while unarmed. Ross and Chang said the measure would align protections for Guard members performing duty with protections commonly afforded to first responders. Committees approved SB1382 SD2 on the record.

SB1379 (community readiness centers) Testimony in support came from Hawaii Emergency Management staff and a coalition of nonprofits, including Climate Hawaii and Catholic Charities of Hawaii, who urged funding and a statewide framework for community readiness or resilience centers. Witnesses said such centers would provide localized preparedness, supplies, training and refuge during hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and other disasters. Hawaii Emergency Management Agency representatives said the program is intended to augment, not supplant, county programs; they noted planning is ongoing and that cost estimates per site are still being developed. The committee deferred SB1379 SD2 to March 19 to allow the agency to supply cost estimates and further details.

SB371 (property damage to critical infrastructure) The Department of the Attorney General supported the intent of SB371 SD2 but suggested drafting amendments including tightening the definition of “critical infrastructure facility.” The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill as drafted, saying the proposed penalties and inclusion of negligence could sweep in ordinary accidents (for example, a vehicle hitting a utility pole) and produce unintended consequences; the Public Defender recommended aligning the measure with federal standards and removing negligent liability. Utilities and communications companies testified in support, citing incidents nationwide. The committee deferred SB371 SD2 for additional drafting and legal review.

SB104 (restrictive housing / corrections) Director Tommy Johnson of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation testified in strong opposition to aspects of SB104 SD2 as drafted, saying department policy (Corrections Policy 11.01) is already aligned with American Correctional Association and National Institute of Corrections standards and that the bill’s statutory language, as written, could impede staff ability to place individuals in restrictive housing when necessary for safety. Supporters, including the Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Office of the Public Defender and advocacy organizations, urged statutory clarity, more oversight and limits on prolonged restrictive housing. Kat Brady of Community Alliance on Prisons said the bill would “bring this torturous policy into the light,” arguing prolonged isolation causes lasting harm. Chair Balotti said the committee would pass the measure with technical amendments, defer some details for follow-up work, and pursue a working group to align statutory language with current policies. The committee passed SB104 SD2 with amendments to move it forward for further action.

SB1612 (fitness-to-proceed pilot) SB1612 SD2 would allow a pilot program to provide fitness-to-proceed evaluations and related services in certain correctional settings pending facility and service planning. Director Johnson expressed support for the intent but recommended narrowing the pilot (the department suggested a three-year pilot tied to new construction such as the new OCCC facility) and coordinating closely with the Department of Health. The Department of Health and other professionals offered technical comments; several witnesses warned of the Clark federal court decision (2003) that requires transfer of defendants found unfit into the custody of the health director within a defined timeframe. Experts and disability advocates cautioned that custody language must not create a Clark violation; Hawaii Disability Rights Center recommended removing the word “custody” and substituting language that clarifies partnership and responsibility. The committee voted to advance SB1612 SD2 with an HD1 to refine scope, limit the pilot to specified sites and request additional data from the Department of Health on patient flows from each county.

Other actions: SB224 SD1 (identification services for people leaving correctional custody) and SB353 SD2 (emergency-management clarifications, including legislative authority around termination of emergency declarations and record-request handling during emergencies) were advanced with technical or date-related amendments. Several measures were deferred to the next decision-making calendar on March 19 to allow agencies to supply additional information and drafting fixes.

Votes at a glance (committee-recorded outcomes) - SB951 SD2 (child-protection: include military status; DHS/DoD coordination): Passed in committee (chair recommended pass with amendments; effective date amended to 07/01/2025). Recorded committee roll calls show multiple “aye” votes and several excused members. - SB1377 SD2 (veterans cemeteries board): Passed in committee (chair recommended pass as is). - SB88 (TRICARE allowances for Hawaii National Guard): Passed in committee (chair recommended pass as is). - SB1382 SD2 (assault against National Guard members made a class C felony): Passed in committee (chair recommended pass as is). - SB1379 SD2 (community readiness centers): Deferred to 03/19/2025 for decision making (committee requested cost estimates and implementation details). - SB371 SD2 (property damage to critical infrastructure): Deferred to 03/19/2025 for decision making (committee requested drafting refinement and legal review). - SB104 SD2 (restrictive housing / corrections): Passed with technical amendments; committee report to include further work and a proposed working group to align policy and statute. - SB1612 SD2 (fitness-to-proceed pilot): Passed with amendments (HD1) to narrow scope to a pilot and request DOH statistics; some members voted no or with reservations citing legal concerns (Clark injunction). - SB224 SD1 (identification for people leaving custody): Passed as recommended. - SB353 SD2 (emergency management): Passed with amendments (HD1) to defer effective date and add technical edits.

What’s next: Multiple bills move on for further drafting, committee reports and subsequent committee referrals. The committees specifically deferred SB1379 and SB371 to March 19 to allow agencies to supply cost estimates, MOUs and drafting clarifications. The chairs signaled intent to form working groups or to refine statutory language where department policies already reference national standards.

Speakers quoted above and in committee records include Kelly Mae Douglas (U.S. Department of Defense), Kathleen Charantona (U.S. Department of Defense), Gary Moai (Department of Human Services), John Alomodin (Office of Veterans Services), Brig. Gen. Ross (Hawaii National Guard), Captain Thomas Chang (Honolulu Police Department), Director Tommy Johnson (Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), Kat Brady (Community Alliance on Prisons), and administrators from Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health. Further written testimony and committee reports referenced during the hearing are part of the meeting record.