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SB716HIEngrossed 2026 Regular Session

Relating To Hawaii Employment Security Law.

Last status update Mar 4, 2025

What this measure contains

Expands the circumstances where the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may waive the requirements for individuals to register to work and report to an employment office to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Authorize the Department to allow individuals to report to a location other than an employment office or other location approved pursuant to its rules. Beginning 4/1/2027, requires notices of determinations and documentation relating to appeals to be sent electronically, unless the election for mail is made. Allows an individual to change an elected withholding status more than once during a benefit year. Amends the statutory definition of "registered for work" or "registration for work". Repeals the requirement for individuals to post their work availability online to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Repeals the statutory provision for joint experience rating. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Source summary of the imported measure. Amendments can change the wording; read a specific version for its complete provisions.

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Source: legiscan· Loaded Oct 30, 2026· Snapshot export date not suppliedOriginal record ↗

Bill text and versions

Drafts can change as a measure moves through the Legislature. Check the version attached to a recorded vote.

Related measures

  • SB716— Carry Over

Related measures may contain different language or follow different histories.

How this measure moved

Legislative path

Each stage below is a recorded decision from the official measure history, attached to the draft it considered. A member's row follows their votes from the first draft to the latest, and a highlighted vote marks where it changed. Committee and conference votes list every member by name. Floor votes list only exceptions; members serving that day who aren't named are shown as ayes in a dashed outline.

  1. Introduced
  2. SD1by LBT
  3. SD2by JDC
  4. HD1by LAB

Companion measure: SB716. A companion follows its own path; its votes are not combined with this one.

Decision stages

  1. Labor and Technology (LBT) on the introduced draft: Passed, with amendments, reported as SD1

    3 aye · 0 no · 2 excused · Source roll call

  2. Ways and Means (WAM) on SD1: Passed, with amendments, reported as SD2

    13 aye · 0 no · 0 excused · Source roll call

  3. Judiciary (JDC) on SD1: Passed, with amendments, reported as SD2

    4 aye · 0 no · 1 excused · Source roll call

  4. Senate third reading on SD2: Passed

    25 aye · 0 no · 0 excused

  5. House LAB committee on SD2: Passed, with amendments, reported as HD1

    6 aye · 0 no · 0 excused

  6. House second reading on HD1: Passed

    48 aye · 1 no · 2 excused

Senate members along the path

Senate members' votes at each stage of SB716
MemberLBT
Introduced		WAM
SD1		JDC
SD1		Third reading
SD2		Change along the path
Henry AquinoSD-019AyeAyeAye
Brenton AwaSD-023AyeAye
Stanley ChangSD-009AyeAye
Lynn DecoiteSD-007AyeAye
Donovan CruzSD-017AyeAye
Brandon ElefanteSD-016AyeAye
Kurt FevellaSD-020AyeAyeAye
Mike GabbardSD-021ExcusedAye
Troy HashimotoSD-005AyeAye
Les IharaSD-010ExcusedAye
Lorraine InouyeSD-001AyeAye
Dru KanuhaSD-003AyeAye
Michelle KidaniSD-018AyeAye
Donna KimSD-014AyeAye
Chris LeeSD-025AyeAyeAye
Sharon MoriwakiSD-012ExcusedAyeAye
Karl RhoadsSD-013AyeAye
Joy San BuenaventuraSD-002AyeAye
Glenn WakaiSD-015AyeAye
6 more Senate members only counted as floor ayes
MemberLBT
Introduced		WAM
SD1		JDC
SD1		Third reading
SD2		Change along the path
Samantha DeCorteSD-022Aye
Carol FukunagaSD-011Aye
Jarrett KeohokaloleSD-024Aye
Ronald KouchiSD-008Aye
Angus McKelveySD-006Aye
Tim RichardsSD-004Aye

House members along the path

House members' votes at each stage of SB716
MemberLAB
SD2		Second reading
HD1		Change along the path
Elle CochranHD-014Excused
Andrew GarrettHD-022AyeAye
Jeanne KapelaHD-005AyeAye
Sam KongHD-033AyeAye
Mike LeeHD-050AyeAye
Chris MuraokaHD-045No
Julie Reyes OdaHD-040AyeAye
Jackson SayamaHD-021AyeAye
Gene WardHD-018Excused
42 more House members only counted as floor ayes
MemberLAB
SD2		Second reading
HD1		Change along the path
David AlcosHD-041Aye
Terez AmatoHD-011Aye
Della au BelattiHD-026Aye
Cory ChunHD-035Aye
Luke EvslinHD-016Aye
Rachele Fernandez LamosaoSD-019Aye
Diamond GarciaHD-042Aye
Tina GrandinettiHD-020Aye
Mark HashemHD-019Aye
Daniel HoltHD-028Aye
Ikaika HusseyHD-029Aye
Linda IchiyamaHD-031Aye
Greggor IlaganHD-004Aye
Kim IwamotoHD-025Aye
Kirstin KahaloaHD-006Aye
Sue Keohokapu-Lee LoyHD-002Aye
Darius KilaHD-044Aye
Lisa KitagawaHD-048Aye
Matthias KuschHD-001Aye
Trish La ChicaHD-037Aye
Nicole LowenHD-007Aye
Lisa MartenHD-051Aye
Scot MatayoshiHD-049Aye
Lauren MatsumotoHD-038Aye
Tyson MiyakeHD-010Aye
Daynette MorikawaHD-017Aye
Nadine NakamuraHD-015Aye
Ikaika OldsHD-023Aye
Amy PerrusoHD-046Aye
Elijah PierickHD-039Aye
Mahina PoepoeHD-013Aye
Sean QuinlanHD-047Aye
Garner ShimizuHD-032Aye
Kanani SouzaHD-043Aye
Gregg TakayamaHD-034Aye
Jenna TakenouchiHD-027Aye
Adrian TamHD-024Aye
David TarnasHD-008Aye
Shirley Ann TemploHD-030Aye
Chris ToddHD-003Aye
Justin WoodsonHD-009Aye
Kyle YamashitaHD-012Aye

Aye named · Aye* with reservations · Aye floor vote, not named as an exception · No · Excused · Changed reversed from the previous vote

Names are matched to legislators only when exactly one person fits; every printed name on this measure was matched. A missing vote means no record was found for that member at that stage, not a no vote. Committee codes follow the Legislature's abbreviations.Official measure history ↗

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Legislative history

  1. Introduced.

  2. Passed First Reading.

  3. Referred to LBT, WAM/JDC.

  4. The committee(s) on LBT has scheduled a public hearing on 01-29-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

  5. The committee(s) on LBT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in LBT were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Aquino, Lee, C., Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara, Moriwaki.

  6. Reported from LBT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 51) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM/JDC.

  7. Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM/JDC.

  8. The committee(s) on WAM/JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-19-25 10:16AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

  9. The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  10. The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.

  11. Reported from WAM/JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 842) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).

  12. 48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25.

  13. Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

  14. Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 185) in amended form (SD 2).

  15. Pass First Reading

  16. Referred to LAB, FIN, referral sheet 19

  17. Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 03-13-25 9:00AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  18. The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

  19. Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1324) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

  20. Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Muraoka voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).

  21. Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

Bill sponsors