THE SENATE
S.R. NO.
1
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE RESOLUTION
amending RULE 16 OF the rules of the senate of the thirty-third legislature, regular session of 2026, of the state of hawaii.
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Rules of the Senate of the State of Hawaii be amended by amending Senate Rule 16 Standing Committees to read as follows:
"Rule 16 Standing Committees.
Standing Committees shall be appointed for major subject matter areas at the opening of the session, or as soon thereafter as possible. The Standing Committees and their areas of jurisdiction shall be as follows:
(1) Committee on Agriculture and Environment (AEN). The purview of this committee includes agriculture and aquaculture, including mariculture; population; environmental quality control and protection, including litter control, recycling, wastewater treatment, endangered species, invasive species, and hazardous waste.
(2) Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection (CPN). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to business regulation, professional and vocational licensing, consumer protection, financial institutions, insurance regulation, public utility regulation, telecommunications regulations, the landlord tenant code, condominium property regimes, and leaseholds.
(3) Committee on Education (EDU). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to early childhood learning; early education, including the Hawaii P-20 Initiative; public schools; continuing education; [[Struck through: and]] the public libraries[[Struck through: .]][Underlined: ; those programs relating to the University of Hawaii, the community college system, private higher education bond financing, and other education matters relevant to higher education.]
(4) Committee on Economic Development and Tourism (EDT). The purview of this committee includes programs related to economic development, including but not limited to authorities and corporations administratively attached to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism unless the authority or corporation is within the purview of another Standing Committee pursuant to this Rule; other emerging industries relating to development, financial and technical assistance to business, film and digital media production, astronomy, space exploration and aerospace development, biochemistry, biomedicine, biotechnology, other scientific research and development activities, recreation, including commercial ocean recreation activities, sports and athletics, and the Aloha Stadium; and those programs relating to tourism, including but not limited to the Hawaii Convention Center, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
(5) Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs (EIG). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to energy and energy resources, including the development of alternative energy resources; matters of concern to the counties, including but not limited to, county and federal relations.
(6) Committee on Government Operations (GVO). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to state government operations policy, including government efficiency, The Procurement Code, and state facilities, unless the state government operations policy, including government efficiency, departmental procurement, and state facilities is within the purview of another Standing Committee pursuant to this Rule.
(7) Committee on Hawaiian Affairs (HWN). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to Hawaiian affairs, including but not limited to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian home lands, sovereignty, and burial councils.
(8) Committee on Health and Human Services (HHS). The purview of this committee includes general health, mental health, maternal and child health, communicable diseases, dental health, medical and hospital services, developmental disabilities, hospitals; public assistance, Medquest, youth services, day care programs under the Department of Human Services, vocational rehabilitation, long term care; promotion of the general well-being of Hawaii's youth, families, elderly population; and issues, services, and programs relating to homelessness.
[[Struck through: (9) Committee on Higher Education (HRE). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to the University of Hawaii, the community college system, private higher education bond financing, and other education matters relevant to higher education, but excluding the Hawaii P-20 Initiative.]
[Struck through: (10)]] [Underlined: (9)] Committee on Housing (HOU). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to affordable and public housing; urban renewal; community development; housing development; and the housing of, or sheltering of, the homeless.
[[Struck through: (11)]] [Underlined: (10)] Committee on Judiciary (JDC). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to the courts, crime prevention and control, including juvenile justice matters; criminal code revision; statutory revision; campaign spending and elections; ethics; constitutional matters; the Attorney General, Public Defender, and Judiciary; and individual rights and civil liberties.
[[Struck through: (12)]] [Underlined: (11)] Committee on Labor and Technology (LBT). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to public officers and employees, labor, employment opportunities and training, labor-management relations, collective bargaining, the Employees' Retirement System, and the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund; implementation and innovation of technology, including but not limited to information storage, transmission, processing, and telecommunications; and programs and issues addressed by the State's Chief Information Officer and the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, including any boards, commissions, committees, and councils addressing technology issues.
[[Struck through: (13)]] [Underlined: (12)] Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs (PSM). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to law enforcement, including but not limited to [[Struck through: programs relating to the State Department of Law Enforcement;]] [Underlined: the narcotics division, the sheriffs division;] county [Underlined: and state] law enforcement officers; public safety; corrections and rehabilitation; civil defense; disaster readiness; state building code; [Underlined: county and federal relations;] and military and veterans' affairs.
[[Struck through: (14)]] [Underlined: (13)] Committee on Transportation [[Struck through: and Culture and the Arts (TCA).]] [Underlined: (TRS).] The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to air, water, and surface transportation, and transit-oriented development as it relates to transportation projects[[Struck through: ; programs relating to international affairs, international relations, foreign policy issues, and foreign relations; and matters of concern relating to culture and the arts in the State; and the Hawaii State Archives]].
[[Struck through: (15)]] [Underlined: (14)] Committee on Water [[Struck through: and]][Underlined: ,] Land [[Struck through: (WTL).]][Underlined: , Culture and the Arts (WLA).] The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to state planning; historic preservation; sustainability; land and water management; forest management and reserve; coastal zone management; land reclamation; naturally occurring fisheries; ocean resources; state parks and beaches; management areas, including ocean recreation management areas and small boat harbors; [[Struck through: and]] transit-oriented development as it relates to land use[[Struck through: .]][Underlined: ; programs relating to international affairs, international relations, foreign policy issues, foreign relations; matters of concern relating to culture, arts, and the Hawaii State Archives.]
[[Struck through: (16)]] [Underlined: (15)] Committee on Ways and Means (WAM). The purview of this committee includes those programs relating to overall state financing policies, including revenue enhancement, taxation, other revenues, and cash and debt management; statewide implementation of planning, programming, budgeting, and evaluation; and government structure and finance."; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate Rule material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken and new Senate Rule material is underscored; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the amendments made to the Senate Rules by this Resolution take effect upon the adoption of this Resolution.
OFFERED BY:
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Report Title:
Senate Rule 16; Standing Committees; Amendments; Adoption