---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO ADVISORY COMMITTEES."
description: "Renames the statewide and county-level voters with special needs advisory committees to elections accessibility needs advisory committees. Recognizes that voting accessibility needs may arise from disabilities other than those of a physical nature."
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2023 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 179"
citation: "Hawaii SB 179 (2023 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Accommodations", "Advisory Committees", "Disability", "Elections Accessibility", "Office of Elections Package"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["KOUCHI"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 22
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-19"
last_action: "2023-04-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ca983837-6daa-4941-844c-cc37ba8e0ce6"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=179&year=2023"
source_hash: "ee3cc86dd50b15b6ce39c77008f0bda8af8693bd3a5bf6153610f72e089fca24"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii SB 179 (2023 Regular Session) — RELATING TO ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

Renames the statewide and county-level voters with special needs advisory committees to elections accessibility needs advisory committees. Recognizes that voting accessibility needs may arise from disabilities other than those of a physical nature.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **SB179** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/bills/SB179_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **8–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- KOUCHI — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-04-20** Act 014, 04/19/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1114). `became-law`
- **2023-04-19** Act 014, on 04/19/2023 (Gov. Msg. No. 1114). `became-law`
- **2023-03-31** Enrolled to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-03-31** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 477). `introduction, receipt`
- **2023-03-30** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ichiyama, Ilagan, Sayama, Woodson excused (4). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2023-03-29** Passed Second Reading; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
- **2023-03-29** Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1634), recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2023-03-22** The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Takayama, Ganaden, Hashimoto, Ichiyama, Ilagan, Kong, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Holt, Mizuno. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-20** Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-22-23 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2023-03-09** Referred to JHA, referral sheet 17 `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-07** Pass First Reading `reading-1`
- **2023-03-03** Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 42). `introduction, receipt`
- **2023-03-03** Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 3 (Senator(s) Fevella, Fukunaga, Ihara). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2023-03-02** One Day Notice 03-03-23.
- **2023-03-02** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading. `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2023-03-02** Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 680) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2023-02-16** The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Elefante, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-14** The committee(s) on JDC deferred the measure until 02-16-23 9:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference. `deferral`
- **2023-02-10** The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-14-23 9:40AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- **2023-01-23** Referred to JDC. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-19** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-19** Introduced. `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ca983837-6daa-4941-844c-cc37ba8e0ce6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).