Bill > HB2353

This bill amends existing law to create a new pathway for individuals to have their names removed, or "expunged," from the child abuse and neglect central registry, which is a state-maintained list of confirmed child abuse or neglect cases. Specifically, it allows survivors of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, or coercive abuse to request expungement if the confirmation of abuse or neglect is more than three years old, if there's documented evidence of their survivor status, if the substantiated neglect was directly caused by their victim status rather than intentional harm, if there are no subsequent reports of abuse or neglect, and if they can demonstrate personal growth, emotional safety, and parenting readiness through various means like completing support programs or showing stable housing. This new provision is added alongside existing expungement rules and clarifies that requests under both the new and existing provisions will be reviewed by the department based on factors like the age of the report, severity of the abuse, and evidence of rehabilitation, with the department having discretion to grant expungement if it serves the interests of justice.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2353&year=2026