Bill > SCR184

This concurrent resolution requests the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC), the state agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, to investigate how existing state laws that prohibit discrimination in areas like employment, housing, and public services apply to decisions made by algorithmic and automated systems. These systems, which include artificial intelligence (AI) tools, are increasingly used in critical decision-making processes, but research suggests they can unintentionally perpetuate or even worsen existing biases, especially if they are built on flawed data or lack transparency. The resolution asks the HCRC to assess if current laws are sufficient to address discrimination caused by these technologies, identify any legal or practical difficulties in investigating such cases, consider if new rules or guidance are needed, explore how complaints about algorithmic discrimination could be handled, and recommend any legislative changes necessary to ensure civil rights protections remain effective in the face of these evolving technologies, with a report due to the Legislature before the 2027 session.