The House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs met Feb. 12 and took action on a broad set of bills. Below is a concise summary of each item the committee voted on or formally deferred during the decision-making portion of the hearing.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendations and noted votes)

- HB1002 (Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission) — Action: advanced as HD1. Notes: Committee recommendation adopted; Representative Cochran excused. (See article on corrections and reentry for details.)

- HB677 (Identification for inmates / reentry) — Action: advanced as introduced. Notes: Committee recommendation adopted.

- HB1183 (Allowances on service retirements / Department of Law Enforcement positions) — Action: advanced with multiple technical and Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) amendments to clarify contribution rates and effective dates. Notes: Committee adopted ERS-recommended technical changes.

- HB1045 (Emergency appropriations for law enforcement payroll/fringe) — Action: advanced with technical amendments and appropriation language to be placed in the standing committee report.

- HB664 (Office of Gun Violence Prevention) — Action: advanced with technical amendments including draft grant standards; two recorded no votes (Representatives Shimizu and Garcia); committee declined to consolidate the existing Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission into the new office at this time due to drafting/title issues.

- HB508 (Illegal fireworks task force funding and sunset extension) — Action: advanced with amendments adjusting the appropriation method and an effective-date proviso tied to existing act 67 repeal date.

- HB648 (Guardianship/conservatorship pilot for indigent respondents) — Action: advanced with technical amendments; committee requested appropriations language be placed in standing committee report.

- HB1001 (Maui wildfire settlement trust fund) — Action: advanced with amendments clarifying release language for beneficiaries and appropriation language moved to committee report.

- HB1174 (Payment under protest procedures) — Action: advanced with an effective-date deferral for fiscal implementation.

- HB990 (Appropriations for claims against the state) — Action: advanced with amendments to add recently settled claims and conform to attorney-general-provided updates.

- HB997 (Court-ordered payments / proof-of-compliance hearings and collections) — Action: deferred. Notes: Committee recorded that further work is needed to reconcile the bill’s approach with the Hawaii Supreme Court decision State v. Faye and to resolve resource and scope concerns raised by the judiciary, public defenders and victim advocates.

- HB364 (Spay/neuter, free-roaming cat management and breeder permitting) — Action: deferred. Notes: Committee cited substantial stakeholder disagreement (veterinarians, humane societies, conservation groups and breeders) and asked proponents to pursue stakeholder workgroup revisions.

- HB366 (Renewable energy contested-case appeals to Hawaii Supreme Court) — Action: deferred. Notes: Judiciary submitted opposition; committee declined to bypass specialized environmental adjudication in favor of direct Supreme Court review.

- HB992 (Charitable fundraising platforms) — Action: advanced with technical amendments to simplify registration and reporting; one no vote recorded (Representative Shimizu).

- HB228 (Electronic license plates / obscuring devices / enforcement) — Action: advanced as introduced; DOT testified in support.

- HB1358 (Public Land Trust Working Group appropriations to OHA) — Action: advanced with committee asking that requested appropriations be specified in the standing committee report; technical amendments adopted.

- HB1007 (Hawaii Community Development Authority — TOD infrastructure program) — Action: advanced with amendments; committee accepted DLNR and OPSD recommended clarifications and requested HCDA to coordinate with Finance on implementing language.

- HB958 (Bikes, e-bikes and micro-mobility rules) — Action: advanced with amendments clarifying device definitions and age limits; technical cleanups accepted.

- HB604 (Increase transient accommodations tax; Hawaiian Home General Loan Fund) — Action: advanced; noted fiscal tradeoffs and recorded reservations/no votes (Representative Garcia voted no; Representative Shimizu recorded reservation).

- HB1308 (Sports wagering) — Action: advanced with amendments requiring criminal-history checks and strengthened temporary-license safeguards; several recorded no votes (Representatives Peruso, Takayama, Shimizu and Garcia) and reservations from Representatives Bellotti and Hasham. Committee asked Finance to consider tax-administration issues raised by the Department of Taxation.

Deferred and withdrawn items

- The committee deferred HB997 (court-ordered payments) and HB364 (cats/spay-neuter/breeder permitting) to permit further stakeholder work and to await a senate vehicle or additional drafting in some cases.

What’s next: Bills advanced by the committee will proceed to the Finance Committee if they require appropriations or further budgeting language. Several items were deferred for reworking with stakeholders or for coordination with other committees to resolve statutory and administrative concerns. Members noted fiscal pressures as a recurring context for revenue-related proposals during the hearing.

Source notes: This roundup summarizes the committee’s February 12, 2025 hearing and decision-making session. Recorded votes and member statements appear in the hearing transcript; the committee’s actions and requests for Finance and drafting follow-up are reflected in the official record.