Bill > HB2469

This bill establishes a Regular Session Review Working Group, comprised of legislative leaders and members, to develop a comprehensive plan and make recommendations to the Hawaii Legislature on adopting an effective year-round legislative session calendar, building upon a previous study by the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) which examined the pros and cons of longer or continuous sessions and compared Hawaii's calendar to other states. To assist this working group, a Technical Advisory Committee will be formed, including representatives from various government agencies like the Attorney General and the Chief Election Officer, to provide expert advice on issues such as campaign activities, ethics, costs, and staffing related to a year-round session, and this committee will be exempt from certain open meeting laws. The working group is tasked with studying the feasibility and financial impacts of a year-round session, recommending necessary legal and rule changes, examining other states' practices, and considering the LRB's findings, with the expectation of submitting an interim report by early 2027 and a final report by early 2028, after which both the working group and advisory committee will be dissolved on June 30, 2028, and funds are appropriated to facilitate their meetings.