Bill > SB266

This bill amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 604-1 to increase the number of district court judges in the First Judicial Circuit from fourteen to fifteen. Specifically, the legislation adds a fifteenth district judge to the First Circuit Court, which serves the Honolulu area. The new judge will be styled as the "fifteenth judge" and will have the same general responsibilities as other district court judges in the circuit. The bill maintains the existing provision that allows the chief justice of the Supreme Court to designate a judge as the administrative judge for the circuit and to authorize judges to substitute or act in place of other judges when case volume or urgency requires. The change is intended to help manage the judicial workload in the First Circuit, which is the most populous judicial circuit in Hawaii. The bill will take effect immediately upon approval.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=266&year=2026