HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	138
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

Requesting the legislative reference bureau to conduct a study to understand the implementation process and projected financial impact of adopting fiscal notes into the state's legislative PROCEDURE.

WHEREAS, numerous states incorporate fiscal notes into their legislative process to increase public transparency by disclosing the potential financial impact a measure would have on the state and local government; and

WHEREAS, the Council of State Governments reports that forty-four states include projected future costs in the notes accompanying their bills; and

WHEREAS, some states have adopted fiscal notes through their internal legislative rules, while others have implemented fiscal notes by statute; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii does not require fiscal notes to accompany measures throughout the legislative process, which forces representatives and senators to vote on measures without knowing the financial impact of their decisions; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a study to understand the implementation process and projected financial impact of adopting fiscal notes into the State's legislative procedure; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is requested to:

(1) Discuss the most appropriate method of adopting fiscal notes, either through statute or House Rules;

(2) Identify the necessary staff, salary, and program costs required to implement fiscal notes;

(3) Consider how best to ensure the fiscal notes are publicly available like other legislative documents found on the Hawaii State Legislature website;

(4) Identify any potential barriers to implementation including, but not limited to, staffing constraints, costs, and technological limitations;

(5) Examine how other states have successfully implemented fiscal notes, such as Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas, with a focus on their ability to overcome any of the implementation barriers identified above; and

(6) Consider implementation through the existing Office of the Legislative Analyst in HRS Section 21F-6 as recommended in HB296 (2025); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations on fiscal notes, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Director of the Legislative Bureau.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Fiscal Notes; Legislative Reference Bureau; Study; Transparency