Committee amends pay‑transparency bill to cover all employers, sets Jan. 1, 2027 compliance date

The House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee on April 1 amended and passed SB 2386 to expand pay‑transparency requirements and set an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027. The change would require job postings to disclose salary ranges or hourly rates for full‑time, part‑time, temporary and seasonal positions, and the committee moved to remove a broad small‑employer exemption.

Yasmin Chinying, appearing for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, said the commission stands on written testimony supporting the measure and described pay transparency as a tool to address wage gaps that disproportionately affect women. Young‑Yo of AAUW Hawaii urged the committee to remove exemptions for small businesses and suggested a later effective date (January 1, 2027) to allow training and outreach for employers.

The bill text as introduced reduced the exemption threshold to employers with fewer than 25 employees (from 50), but committee members adopted an amendment making the requirement apply to all employers and set Jan. 1, 2027 as the compliance date to give businesses time to adjust. Some members expressed concern about impacts on small employers; the chair noted committee intent to provide compliance time.

The committee adopted the chair's recommendation to pass with amendments. The committee's report will reflect the Jan. 1, 2027 effective date.

Next steps: SB 2386 will proceed with the committee's amendment requiring disclosure across employers and the stated effective date.