Bill > HB140

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to change how Hawaii conducts reapportionment, which is the process of redistributing legislative districts based on population. Currently, Hawaii's constitution requires using only "permanent residents" for district allocation, which excludes many groups like military members, their dependents, and college students. The proposed amendment would require using the total number of residents as counted in the most recent U.S. Census, aligning Hawaii with the practices of 49 other states. The bill seeks to address inequities in representation by ensuring that all residents living in a specific area are counted, regardless of their permanent resident status. Specifically, the amendment would modify Article IV, Sections 4 and 6 of the Hawaii State Constitution to replace the term "permanent residents" with "residents, as reported by the most recent decennial census of the United States." If approved, this change would ensure more accurate and fair representation by counting all people residing in Hawaii, not just those considered permanent residents. The amendment would be subject to voter approval and would take effect upon compliance with the state constitution's amendment procedures.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=140&year=2026