Bill > SB853

This bill establishes an Immigration Services Trust Fund within Hawaii's legal framework to support immigration-related services, specifically for the immigration services and access unit in the Office of Community Services. The trust fund can receive money from three sources: legislative appropriations, grants and donations, and investment earnings. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will administer the fund and is required to submit an annual report to the Legislature detailing the fund's receipts and expenditures. The bill recognizes Hawaii's significant immigrant population and aims to provide timely access to services for individuals with pending immigration proceedings, particularly those with mixed immigration statuses. The legislation appropriates an unspecified sum from general state revenues to be deposited into the trust fund for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, with the funds to be used specifically by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations for immigration-related support. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and builds upon a previous Act (Act 207, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024) that established the immigration services and access unit.

Labor and Employment

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=853&year=2026