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Hawaii · 2025 Regular Session · Bill

SB 109: RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

Passed both chambers Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 109 is a bill introduced in the Hawaii Senate on January 9, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE. Primary sponsor: Karl Rhoads (Democratic), Joy San Buenaventura (Democratic). Most recent recorded action (April 15, 2025): Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 731).

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Requires that the Hawaiian version of a law be held binding if the law in question was originally drafted in Hawaiian and meets certain criteria. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Karl RhoadsPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate13
Joy San BuenaventuraPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 731).
  2. House Conferees Appointed: Tarnas Chair; Poepoe, Garcia.
  3. Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 570).
  4. Senate disagrees with House amendments.
  5. Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 774).
  6. Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kapela, Marten excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
  7. Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1748) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
  8. Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
  9. The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
  10. Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 03-11-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
  11. Re-referred to JHA, referral sheet 20
  12. Pass First Reading

Showing 12 most recent of 26 actions. Full history

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source