Public First testimony to the Legislature and other forums is available here.
Public First submitted the following testimony during the 2026 legislative session. The descriptions of each bill were copied from the Capitol website.
Clarifies that records created, received, maintained, or used by private contractors performing government functions on behalf of public agencies shall be subject to the Uniform Information Practices Act.
Requires law enforcement agencies and law enforcement oversight agencies to collect and report certain data regarding law enforcement stops, uses of force, and complaints to the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab affiliated with the University of Hawaiʻi. Requires the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab to collect and publish incident-level information and an annual report on the data collected. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to adopt rules, in coordination with the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1).
Requires state and county law enforcement agencies to notify an individual in the custody of a state or county law enforcement agency of their rights before any interview with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations can commence. Designates all records relating to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as public records. Requires state and county law enforcement agencies that have provided the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year.
Requires members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaiʻi to attend a governance training within twelve months of appointment and every two years thereafter. Exempts strategic planning retreats of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaiʻi from open meeting requirements if certain conditions are met. Requires the Candidate Advisory Council to ensure that all candidates presented to the Governor for nomination have certain subject matter experience and are not registered lobbyists who have lobbied on matters pertaining to the University of Hawaiʻi. Requires the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaiʻi, in collaboration with the Candidate Advisory Council, to submit annual reports to the Legislature.
Requires every government agency that maintains, uses, collects or processes the home address of a covered public servant or candidate, to ensure that their home address is not publicly accessible. Requires every government agency to redact or otherwise remove home addresses from certain websites, databases, and printed documents or publications. Authorizes an individual to request disclosure of the home address, under certain circumstances. Allows a covered public servant or candidate to object to the disclosure of their home address.
Expands the scope of persons who are subject to public financial disclosure requirements.
Limits public access to summary possession records on the Judiciary’s publicly accessible electronic databases unless and until a writ of possession is issued.
Clarifies State and local authority during a state or local state of emergency. Adds definition of “severe weather warning”. Allows the Legislature to terminate a state of emergency and city councils to terminate a local state of emergency.
Expands the scope of persons who are subject to public financial disclosure requirements.
Clarifies that records created, received, maintained, or used by private contractors performing government functions on behalf of public agencies shall be subject to the Uniform Information Practices Act.
Requires certain information to appear at the beginning of notices for public meetings.
Requires every government agency that maintains, uses, collects or processes the home address of a covered public servant or candidate, to ensure that their home address is not publicly accessible. Requires every government agency to redact or otherwise remove home addresses from certain websites, databases, and printed documents or publications. Authorizes an individual to request disclosure of the home address, under certain circumstances. Allows a covered public servant or candidate to object to the disclosure of their home address.
© 2018-2023 Public First Law Center®