The 2026 Legislative Session officially kicked off on January 21, 2026, and there is a slew of bills being considered, many of which may affect employers operating in Hawaii. Some important bills that you may want to pay attention to are:

• AI Related Bills: SB59 proposes notice and reporting requirements when algorithmic decision making is used and HB639/SB640/SB2967 proposes notice requirements when customers are interacting with artificial intelligence.
• Healthcare: HB2143/SB3305 proposes a single payer healthcare system called “Hawaii Care” for all state residents.
• Marijuana: HB1624/HB1625/SB2421 proposes to allow cannabis use for anyone twenty-one years or older.
• Meal & Rest Breaks: SB452 proposes required meal breaks for employees working more than five consecutive hours and HB555 proposes required 10-minute paid breaks for every four hours of work.
• Minimum Wage: HB84/HB524 proposes to reduce the minimum wage to $15/hour and HB2506/SB 3235 proposes to increase minimum wage to $18/hour starting on January 1, 2027 (one year earlier than this increase is set to take effect).
• Pay Transparency: SB2150 proposes requiring hourly or salary ranges to be disclosed on job postings for both large and small employers, as opposed to the current requirement for only large employers.
• Unemployment: HB158/HB722 proposes to allow striking workers to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

For a complete list of bills being tracked by HEC, please refer to our 2026 Employment Related Bills and Other Bills of Interest. We will also be posting updates throughout this session on our Legislative Updates website.

If any bills are of interest to you, we encourage you to participate in the legislative process by submitting testimony, attending hearings, or reaching out to your Senator or Representative. For information about how to participate, please refer to the Legislative Reference Bureau’s Engagement 101 website or visit the Hawaii State Legislature website.