Bill > SB2249

This bill amends existing law to establish heightened penalties for bribery under specific circumstances, defining "elected or appointed official" as someone whose salary is set by the commission on salaries or by statute, and expanding the definition of "public servant" to include those designated to become one even if not yet in office. Bribery, which involves offering or accepting a financial benefit to influence a public servant's official actions, will become a class A felony, meaning a more serious crime with a longer potential prison sentence, without the possibility of probation or a suspended sentence, if the public servant is an elected or appointed official or if the value of the bribe exceeds $50,000 within a three-year period. Additionally, regardless of the circumstances, anyone convicted of bribery under this section will not be eligible for a deferred acceptance of a guilty or no contest plea, a legal mechanism that can allow for the dismissal of charges upon successful completion of certain conditions.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2249&year=2026