THE SENATE
S.R. NO.
76
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE RESOLUTION
Requesting the OFFICE OF THE Governor to evaluate and make recommendations on the decentralization of the Department of Human Resources Development's hiring and recruitment functions to state departments, divisions, and agencies.
WHEREAS, to serve the public effectively, state agencies depend on a full complement of administrative, technical, and operational support; and
WHEREAS, the existing centralized hiring model administered by the Department of Human Resources Development, however, often results in operational bottlenecks and prolonged vacancies in critical roles; and
WHEREAS, according to the Department of Human Resources Development's 2026 report to the Legislature, as of November 1, 2025, there were 4,273 vacant civil service positions in the human resources management system, representing a twenty-four percent vacancy rate, and four hundred and eighty-five civil service positions had been vacant for four years or more; and
WHEREAS, these prolonged staffing vacancies place an unsustainable burden on existing staff, diverting them from their core duties and compromising the delivery of essential government services; and
WHEREAS, decentralizing recruitment and hiring functions for state employment would foster a more agile and responsive approach to staffing, allowing departments to tailor recruitment efforts to their specific operational requirements; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Office of the Governor is requested to evaluate and make recommendations on the decentralization of the Department of Human Resources Development's hiring and recruitment functions to state departments, divisions, and agencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the functions evaluated for decentralization are requested to include but not be limited to:
(1) Composing position descriptions;
(2) Accepting applicants for vacant positions;
(3) Completing minimum qualification reviews of applicants;
(4) Conducting interviews; and
(5) Directly hiring applicants who meet the minimum qualifications of a position; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of the Governor is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of Human Resources Development.
OFFERED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Governor's Office; DHRD; Hiring and Recruitment Functions; Civil Service Positions; Vacancies; Report