# Hawaii SB 2737: RELATING TO BRIBERY.

Hawaii SB 2737, RELATING TO BRIBERY., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) Senate bill sponsored by Karl Rhoads (Democratic); status failed, last action 2026-04-16 (Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 697).) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2737-2026
- 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 2737
- State: Hawaii
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2)
- Title: RELATING TO BRIBERY.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-23
- Last action: 2026-04-16, Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 697).
- Sponsor: Karl Rhoads (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Bribery, Elected Official, Failure to Report, Pecuniary Benefit, JHA
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 5 (135 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Establishes the offense of failure to report bribery by a state elected official as a misdemeanor. Requires a state elected official who knows of or witnesses the conferring, offering, solicitation, or acceptance of a pecuniary benefit in violation of the bribery statute to report the conduct to the Department of the Attorney General, a county prosecuting attorney, a law enforcement agency, the State Ethics Commission, or a county ethics board within sixty days. Defines "state elected official". Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Karl Rhoads (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Joy A. San Buenaventura (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-14 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 50 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-09 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 49 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-18 | House | The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-10 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 25 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 4 | 0 |   |

## Actions (21)

- 2026-04-16: Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 697). (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Senate disagrees with House amendments. (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710). (House)
- 2026-04-14: Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate. (House)
- 2026-04-09: Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1979-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading. (House)
- 2026-04-09: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). (House)
- 2026-03-18: The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Sayama, Cochran. (House)
- 2026-03-16: Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-18-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2026-03-12: Pass First Reading (House)
- 2026-03-12: Referred to JHA, referral sheet 17 (House)
- 2026-03-10: Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) DeCoite, Inouye, Keohokalole, Kim, Lamosao, McKelvey, San Buenaventura. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 290) in amended form (SD 1). (House)
- 2026-03-06: Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2886) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading. (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1). (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: 48 Hrs. Notice 3-10-26. (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard. (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-24-26 9:45AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Re-Referred to JDC. (Senate)
- 2026-01-30: Referred to PSM, JDC. (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Passed First Reading. (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Introduced. (Senate)

## Bill text

- Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_HD1_.pdf)
- Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_.PDF)
- SB2737_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_HD1_.HTM)
- SB2737_SD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_SD1_.HTM)

## Related bills

- SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS. (became law)
- SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. (signed)
- HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- SB 2031: RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION. (signed)

## Sources
- [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_HD1_.pdf)
- [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_.HTM)
- [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_.PDF)
- [SB2737_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_HD1_.HTM)
- [SB2737_SD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2737_SD1_.HTM)

## Related
- [SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB847-2026)
- [SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2338-2026)
- [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 2031: RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2031-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2737-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).