# Hawaii SB 1238: PROPOSING TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO MAKE INCUMBENT LEGISLATORS TEMPORARILY INELIGIBLE FOR SERVICE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION.

Hawaii SB 1238, PROPOSING TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO MAKE INCUMBENT LEGISLATORS TEMPORARILY INELIGIBLE FOR SERVICE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) Senate bill sponsored by Brenton Awa (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-12-08 (Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB1238-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Hawaii SB 1238
- State: Hawaii
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2)
- Title: PROPOSING TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO MAKE INCUMBENT LEGISLATORS TEMPORARILY INELIGIBLE FOR SERVICE BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-21
- Last action: 2025-12-08, Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- Sponsor: Brenton Awa (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Constitutional Amendment, Legislators, Ineligibility, Native Hawaiians, JDC/HWN, WAM
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Proposes to amend the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to provide that if a United States census shows that the state Native Hawaiian population decreased by no less than 5% since the prior United States census, all state legislators in office at the time of the release of the latter census shall be ineligible to serve in any state legislative office for 1 term, which shall be the 1st term of the applicable legislative office that begins after the release of the latter census.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Brenton Awa (Republican), Senate

## Actions (4)

- 2025-12-08: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- 2025-01-27: Referred to JDC/HWN, WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-01-23: Introduced and passed First Reading. (Senate)
- 2025-01-21: Pending Introduction. (Senate)

## Bill text

- Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB1238_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB1238_.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS. (became law)
- HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. (signed)
- HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH. (signed)

## Sources
- [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB1238_.HTM)
- [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB1238_.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB847-2026)
- [HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2344-2026)
- [HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2023-2026)
- [HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2021-2026)
- [SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2338-2026)
- [HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB1973-2026)
- [Hawaii bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii/bills)
- [Hawaii state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB1238-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).