HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	146
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY'S ‘ŌLELO HAWAI‘I INITIATIVES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that article XV, section 4, of the Hawaii State Constitution affirms that English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) shall be the official languages of the State. The legislature also finds that the Hawaii State Constitution provides for the preservation and promotion of native Hawaiian culture, history, and language in various provisions including article X, section 4, which states, "[t]he State shall promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language."

The legislature further finds that the judiciary has already taken initial steps to explore ways of providing ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi resources and interpreter and translation services to the public. To advance this work, in 2015, the legislature adopted a concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution No. 217, Senate Draft 1, Regular Session of 2015, that requested the judiciary to convene a task force to examine and report on establishing ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi resources for the judiciary. The task force report made several findings including that ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi "possesses appropriate specificity, sophistication, and technical breadth of terminology to accurately translate legal terminology from English into ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi". Additionally, according to the United States Census Bureau's 2009-2013 American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi ranks number five in languages other than English spoken at home in the State. Further, the task force found that as an independent branch of government, the judiciary could effectively serve as a focused model to demonstrate the use of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

While the judiciary has continued its efforts to make resources and services available in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, it is time for more attention and funding to move these efforts forward. The task force report made several recommendations and identified projects that can serve as a guide to the judiciary.

The legislature notes that this Act should not be viewed as groundbreaking. Other countries that recognize more than one official language provide access to government services and documents in all official languages, and the United Nations operates in six official languages.

The purpose of this Act is to support the judiciary's ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi initiatives. It is not the legislature's intent that the requested funds supplant the judiciary's existing funding or budget requests.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the judiciary's ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi projects.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the judiciary for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Judiciary; Olelo Hawaii Initiatives; Appropriations

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Judiciary to support the Olelo Hawaii Initiatives. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

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