Bill > SB300

This bill establishes a new procedure for filling state legislative vacancies in Hawaii when the governor fails to make an appointment within specified deadlines. Under the proposed law, if the governor does not appoint an individual to fill a vacancy in the state senate or house of representatives by the applicable deadline, the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House (respectively) will have the authority to make the appointment within a set number of calendar days after the deadline. The bill also modifies existing statutes to add new requirements for the appointment process, including provisions that require the appointed individual to meet specific eligibility criteria, such as being a member of the same political party as the previous incumbent and residing in the same district. Additionally, the bill adds new timelines for political parties to submit lists of potential appointees to the governor and for the governor to make temporary appointments pending a potential future election. The changes aim to ensure a more structured and timely process for filling legislative vacancies when the initial appointing authority (the governor) fails to act within the prescribed timeframe.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=300&year=2026