Committee approves three-year Kona women’s court pilot, narrows statewide expansion

The Senate Committee on Judiciary on March 20 approved HB 727, which creates a three-year women’s court pilot in the Third Circuit’s Kona division and removes earlier language expanding pilot projects to the Second and Fifth Circuits.

Judge Kim, testifying for the judiciary, said the bill responds to the distinct needs of women who appear in criminal courts and emphasized the treatment-court model. "Whenever we can save a life and put them back together, heal the harm that has been done to them, we've accomplished so much," Judge Kim said, describing the wider effects on families and communities.

Testimony from treatment-court staff and community members described an acute shortage of behavioral-health and mental-health services on the Big Island. Grayson Hashida, the drug-court coordinator who helped develop the proposal, said the project would pair mental-health professionals and behavioral-health beds with the existing treatment model to address gaps in care. Cory Weinberger, vice president of the West Hawaii Bar Association and a former prosecutor, said the treatment-court model has proven results and urged the committee to adopt any modification that helps launch the Kona program.

The committee amended HB 727 to make the First Circuit women's court permanent by repealing an existing sunset, to create a Kona (Third Circuit) pilot project that will sunset on June 30, 2028, and to delete the bill language expanding pilots to the Second and Fifth Circuits. The committee also directed the Judiciary to report to the Legislature 40 days before the 2026 session on the need and projected cost of pilots for the Second and Fifth Circuits and the Hilo side of the Third Circuit. The committee deleted a requested Department of Health appropriation and instead added an appropriation to the Judiciary: $514,900 for FY 2025–26 and $557,000 for FY 2026–27 to fund two temporary positions and services for the Kona pilot, specifically noting positions to include a Kona drug-court probation supervisor and a peer specialist.

Several people with direct experience in drug court urged support. Emily Ovienquiat, a Big Island probation officer who supervises many women in Kona Drug Court, described the scarcity of mental-health and criminal-thinking programs on her island and said the pilot would focus on rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Colette Asia, a drug-court graduate, said, "Drug court has saved my life," and urged lawmakers to support a women-specific option where participants might feel more comfortable addressing trauma.

Committee action: The committee voted to pass HB 727 with the amendments described above. The committee adopted its recommendation in the decision session; the measure will proceed with the committee report language and the appropriation inserted for judiciary staffing.

Next steps: With committee passage, the Kona pilot and the funding the committee inserted will move forward in the legislative process. The Judiciary will be required to provide a cost and need assessment to the Legislature before the 2026 session as specified by the committee.