The Hawaii State Legislature convenes on the third Wednesday in January of each year and continues for 60 session days, which excludes weekends, holidays, and recess days — usually ending in late April or early May. The legislature is part-time and operates with a biennial legislative session, the first year of which starts on odd numbered years. This means that in 202, the legislature could pass bill that was introduced in 2021. The legislature consists of a House of Representatives and a Senate.
The ACLU of Hawaiʻi works year-round to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of all. During the legislative session, we collaborate with ACLU supporters, other organizations, impacted communities, and lawmakers to draft bills, lobby legislators, testify in support of bills, seek support from other groups, draft fact sheets, and conduct outreach to the media. We also work hard to defeat bills that infringe on our freedoms and threaten our civil rights and liberties.
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Click Here to View Our 2021 Legislative Agenda & WRAP-Up.
This bill, companion bill SB 1245, establishes a moratorium on the construction of any new correctional facilities in the State from 7/1/2021 to 6/30/2022, including the planned construction of a new...
This bill, like SB 294 and HB 659, restricts civil asset forfeiture to cases where the property owner has been convicted of the underlying offense, but unlike the bills mentioned, allows forfeiture for...
This bill requires each county police department to collect certain data regarding police stops, uses of force, and arrests, and submit to the legislature annual reports.
This bill, companion bill HB 659, restricts civil asset forfeiture to cases involving a felony offense, and where the property owner has been convicted of the underlying felony offense.