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SB2151Introduced in the Senate

Relating To Emergency Management.

Engrossed

Introduced by Karl Rhoads, District 13

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Clarifies state and local authority during a state or local state of emergency. Clarifies and limits the suspension of laws and access to records during an emergency. Defines "catastrophic harm" and "severe weather warning". Amends the definitions of "disaster" and "emergency" under emergency management laws. Allows the Legislature to terminate a state of emergency and county councils to terminate a local state of emergency. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Where it stands

Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).

April 16, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

SenateStage: Senate Judiciary: Passed, With Amendments · March 5, 2026

4

Yes

1

No

0

Absent or Not Voting

5 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

What do people think?

Citizen Voice

How would you vote on this bill?

An unofficial public opinion poll. It does not affect the bill or the official vote.

One response per device. Location is self-reported and not verified. Results are informal and not a scientific survey.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Joy San Buenaventura2Yes
Stanley Chang9Yes
Karl Rhoads13Yes
Mike Gabbard21Yes
Brenton Awa23No

Bill history

  1. Pending Introduction.

  2. Introduced and passed First Reading.

  3. Referred to PSM, JDC.

  4. The committee(s) on PSM has scheduled a public hearing on 01-28-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

  5. The committee(s) on PSM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in PSM were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Fukunaga, Lee, C., Inouye, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Hashimoto.

  6. Reported from PSM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2131) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

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

  8. The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-24-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

  9. The committee(s) on JDC deferred the measure until 03-05-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

  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; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Gabbard ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.

  11. Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3099) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).

  12. 48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.

  13. Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Gabbard. Noes, 1 (Senator(s) Awa). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

  14. Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 182) in amended form (SD 2).

  15. Pass First Reading

  16. Referred to PBS, JHA, referral sheet 17

  17. Bill scheduled to be heard by PBS on Friday, 03-20-26 10:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  18. The committee(s) on PBS recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 03-25-26 11:00AM.

  19. Bill scheduled for decision making on Wednesday, 03-25-26 11:00AM in conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  20. The committee(s) on PBS recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 03-27-26 11:00AM.

  21. Bill scheduled for decision making on Friday, 03-27-26 11:00AM in conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  22. The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Woodson; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Souza; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Morikawa, Poepoe.

  23. Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1563-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

  24. Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Souza voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

  25. Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 04-08-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  26. The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Sayama, Cochran.

  27. Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2127-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.

  28. Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-14-26.

  29. Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Souza voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.

  30. Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 632).

  31. Senate disagrees with House amendments.

  32. Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).

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