HawaiiBill would require trafficking training and reporting steps at lodging businesses
The bill would have the attorney general develop trafficking training, while lodging employers would train covered workers and set up ways to report suspected trafficking.
What it does
The attorney general would develop training for lodging workers on trafficking, warning signs, how to respond and report, and where to get help.
Employers would train covered employees and contract workers within 180 days of starting work or placement, then at least every two years.
Employers would keep training records, post signs, and create a policy for reporting suspected trafficking. Good-faith compliance or reporting would bring liability protection, unless someone knowingly helps trafficking.
Employers that violate the requirements could be fined, with each day counting separately. The labor department would adopt rules to carry out the section.
Argument forWorkers may be better able to spot and report trafficking because training would cover warning signs, response steps, and where to seek help.
Argument againstEmployers could face added work to train workers, keep records, post signs, and create reporting policies.
More detail
The bill would direct the attorney general to develop trafficking awareness training for lodging workers. The training would cover workers in transient accommodations, a term defined elsewhere in state law. The text includes a deadline for developing the program, but the date is unreadable.
Lodging employers would provide the training to covered employees and contract workers. Covered workers would include employees and contractor-supplied workers who have guest contact or access to guest rooms at Hawaii lodging businesses. Training would be due within 180 days of employment or placement, as applicable, and at least every two years after that. The bill says it would take effect upon approval.
Lodging employers would keep training records, post signs, and create a policy for reporting suspected trafficking. These duties would apply to transient accommodations employers and their covered employees and contract workers. Signs would need to be easy to read, in English, and in each other language spoken by at least 10 percent of the employer's covered workers. The policy would direct reports to the National Human Trafficking Hotline or a local law enforcement agency. Employers and workers acting in good faith under the section or reporting under its policy would be protected from civil or criminal liability for acts or omissions related to a third party's trafficking, unless they knowingly assist it. The text's deadlines for posting signs and adopting the policy are unreadable.
Employers that violate the section could be fined, and the labor department would adopt rules to carry it out. The fine would apply to transient accommodations employers; the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations would adopt the rules. Each day a violation continued would count as a separate offense. The maximum fine amount is unreadable. The bill says it would take effect upon approval; it gives no separate date for the rules or enforcement.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 7Act 191, 07/07/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1293).Latest
- Jul 7Act 191, on 07/07/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1293).Became Law
- May 8Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).Minor
- May 7Transmitted to Governor.
- May 6Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.Major
- Vote recorded Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).Major
- May 6Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).Minor
- May 1Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 126-26) as amended in (CD 1).
- May 1Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.
- May 1Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 126-26).
- May 148 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26
- Apr 30The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Elefante; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa.Minor
- Vote recorded The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 30The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tam, Sayama, Poepoe, Templo, Ratcliffe, Gedeon; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.Minor
- Apr 29Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-30-26 3:45PM in conference room 325.
- Apr 28Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Wednesday 04-29-26 3:45PM in conference room 325.
- Apr 27Senate Conferees Appointed: Rhoads Chair; Elefante Co-Chair; Awa.
- Apr 27Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 778).Minor
- Apr 27Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Tuesday, 04-28-26 3:50PM in conference room 325.
- Apr 20Re-referred to TOU, LAB, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 30Minor
- Apr 20House Conferees Appointed: Tam, Sayama, Poepoe, Templo Co-Chairs; Ratcliffe, Gedeon.
- Apr 20Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).Minor
- Apr 16Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 599).Minor
- Apr 14House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).Minor
- Apr 10Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 10Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 538) in amended form (SD 1).
- Apr 9Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3645) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
- Apr 9One Day Notice 04-10-26.
- Apr 6The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..Minor
- Vote recorded The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 1The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-06-26 10:32AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
- Mar 30Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3345) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
- Mar 30Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.Minor
- Mar 27The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Awa.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 23Re-Referred to JDC, WAM.Minor
- Mar 23The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-27-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- Mar 12Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 326).Minor
- Mar 12Passed First Reading.Minor
- Mar 12Referred to JDC/PSM, WAM.Minor
- Mar 10Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1133-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
- Mar 6Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
- Feb 24The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Garcia.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 20Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 648-26), recommending referral to JHA.
- Vote recorded Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 20Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).Minor
- Feb 20Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 02-24-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Feb 19The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Kong.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 02-19-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Feb 10Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).Minor
- Vote recorded Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 9Reported from TOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 60-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
- Feb 5The committee on TOU recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tam, Templo, Holt, Hussey, Ilagan, Yamashita, Gedeon; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on TOU recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 2Bill scheduled to be heard by TOU on Thursday, 02-05-26 9:30AM in House conference room 423 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Jan 28Referred to TOU, LAB, JHA, referral sheet 3Minor
- Jan 26Introduced and Pass First Reading.Minor
- Jan 23Pending introduction.Introduced
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