Senate committee approves felony for unlicensed contractor work during emergencies; effective date moved to 2050

The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection voted to pass SB 417, which would create a class B felony for performing contractor work without a license during — and for five years after — a declared national, state or local emergency or disaster in an affected political subdivision.

Committee members adopted technical, non‑substantive amendments and deferred the bill’s effective date to July 1, 2050, during the Feb. 5, 2025, decision session. The committee reported the measure adopted with the changes.

The Contractors License Board submitted comments at the hearing, and Tim Lyons of the Subcontractors Association of Hawaii testified in support and stood on his written testimony. No oral opposition was recorded during the committee’s in‑room testimony period.

Committee members said the amendments were technical and non‑substantive; the record shows the committee adopted the recommendation to pass with those amendments and moved the item forward by voice/roll call vote.

Because the bill creates a new felony classification limited to post‑disaster contexts, committee members and testifiers emphasized the statutory scope and whether the bill’s language would be narrowly tailored to contractors acting without a license during declared emergencies.

The committee’s adopted amendment package and the updated effective‑date language will be reflected in the committee report.