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SB3294Introduced in the Senate

Relating To Wrongful Imprisonment.

Engrossed

Introduced by Karl Rhoads, District 13

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Establishes the procedure that a circuit court shall follow upon the reversal or vacation of a person's judgment of conviction on grounds consistent with innocence, and where the charges were dismissed. Requires the State to pay, through a warrant for payment issued by the Comptroller, advance compensation to any petitioner who was convicted in a court of the State, imprisoned for at least one year, and whose judgment of conviction was reversed or vacated, or was pardoned, on grounds consistent with innocence. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to immediately notify the Department of Human Services so the Department of Human Services may assign a case manager to a petitioner upon the petitioner's release. Requires the State to provide medical coverage to a person for a certain duration upon the reversal or vacation of the person's judgment of conviction on grounds consistent with innocence and where the charges were dismissed. Provides that the Judiciary and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall retain jurisdiction over the person for the purposes of effectuating this process. Authorizes the State to seek reimbursement from the applicable county for any losses incurred by the State pursuant to this process. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Legislature. Clarifies eligibility to seek compensation for persons whose judgment of conviction was reversed or vacated, or who were pardoned, on grounds consistent with innocence, and where the charges were dismissed. Shifts the burden of proof to the State to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the reversal or vacation of the judgment of conviction for a petitioner, or the pardoning of the petitioner, was inconsistent with innocence. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Where it stands

Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 787).

April 20, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

SenateStage: Senate Judiciary: Passed, With Amendments · March 4, 2026

5

Yes

0

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 Awa23Yes

Bill history

  1. Introduced.

  2. Passed First Reading.

  3. Referred to GVO/PSM, JDC/WAM.

  4. Re-Referred to GVO, JDC/WAM.

  5. The committee(s) on GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 02-17-26 3:45PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

  6. The committee(s) on GVO deferred the measure until 02-19-26 3:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.

  7. The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Gabbard, Hashimoto, Moriwaki; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa.

  8. Reported from GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2686) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

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

  10. The committee(s) on JDC/WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-04-26 10:35AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

  11. The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  12. 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, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  13. Reported from JDC/WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3069) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).

  14. 48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.

  15. 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.

  16. Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 399) in amended form (SD 2).

  17. Pass First Reading

  18. Referred to JHA, PBS, FIN, referral sheet 17

  19. Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-18-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  20. The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Sayama, Cochran.

  21. Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1267-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to PBS.

  22. Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on PBS with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).

  23. Bill scheduled to be heard by PBS on Wednesday, 03-25-26 10:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  24. The committee on PBS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Hashem, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

  25. Reported from PBS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1480-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

  26. Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

  27. Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Tuesday, 04-07-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  28. The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

  29. Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2161-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.

  30. Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.

  31. Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 774).

  32. Senate disagrees with House amendments.

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

  34. House Conferees Appointed: Tarnas, Belatti, Kusch Co-Chairs; Iwamoto, Poepoe, Garcia.

  35. Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 787).

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