The Hawaiʻi State Legislature's 2026 session runs from January 21 to May 8. This page lists the deadlines that determine whether bills live or die during the session.
For a full explanation of how the legislative process works, see how a bill becomes law in Hawaiʻi.
First chamber 2026 milestones
Every bill starts its life in one chamber — either the House or the Senate. It has to clear a set of internal deadlines in its originating chamber, before it can move over to the other chamber. Miss any one of these deadlines, and the bill is done for the session.
- Introduction — January 21st–28th, 2026
All House (HB) and Senate (SB) bills are filed during this window. Approximately 3,000 bills entered the process in 2026.
- First Lateral — February 19th, 2026
Bills assigned to multiple committees must reach their final home committee by this date. Bills that haven't made it through their earlier committee referrals by now are done.
- First Decking — March 6th, 2026
Bills must be formally filed ("decked") for a Third Reading vote in their originating chamber. If a bill hasn't been decked by this date, it won't make it to a floor vote.
- First Crossover — March 12th, 2026
Bills must pass their Third Reading in their originating chamber and move to the other by this date. Around 800 bills (out of the roughly 3,000 introduced) usually make it this far. At this point, House bills move to the Senate, and Senate bills move to the House. The committee review process then starts again in the new chamber.
Second chamber 2026 key dates
Once a bill crosses over, it faces a second set of deadlines in the receiving chamber. The process mirrors what happened in the originating chamber: committee referrals, hearings, and floor votes — all on a tighter timeline.
- Second Lateral — March 27th, 2026
Bills must reach their final committee in the second chamber by this date.
- Second Decking — April 10th, 2026
Deadline to file for Third Reading in the second chamber.
- Second Crossover — April 16th, 2026
Bills return to the originating chamber, which votes to agree or disagree with the other chamber's version. Around 300 bills remain at this stage. If the originating chamber disagrees with the changes made, the bill goes to a Conference Committee.
Final stretch and adjournment
Bills that make it through both chambers enter the final stretch. If the two chambers passed different versions, conferees have until Final Decking to agree on one. After that, it's a straight run to adjournment.
- Final Decking — April 24th, 2026
Final conference versions must be filed for the last vote. If conferees haven't reached agreement by this deadline, the bill is dead.
- Adjournment sine die (closing) — May 8th, 2026
The last day of session.
"Sine die" is Latin for "without a day" — the Legislature adjourns without setting a date to reconvene. Any bill that hasn't passed by now is dead for this session.
May 2026 update
The Public Policy Action Group at Indivisible Hawaiʻi made a significant impact this session — from passing landmark dark money legislation to advancing migrant rights, healthcare protections, and tax fairness. Read the full 2026 legislative session report for a breakdown of what we achieved together.
