---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO VACANCIES."
description: "Amends the processes for addressing party candidate and state senator vacancies."
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 2099"
citation: "Hawaii HB 2099 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Candidates", "Office of Elections Package", "State Senators", "Vacancies"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["NAKAMURA"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 21
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-23"
last_action: "2026-04-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dc45ed4c-8318-4881-b318-f74d2c23bdb2"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2099&year=2026"
source_hash: "55fba2fe0ff97c2e58bea2ecb080be32e8bf196cbbea539b4a7dd30ddb88150d"
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 HB 2099 (2026) — RELATING TO VACANCIES.

Amends the processes for addressing party candidate and state senator vacancies.

## Version chain

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

1. **HB2099** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/HB2099_.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. — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Third Reading. — **25–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- NAKAMURA — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-04-29** Act 008, on 04/28/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1108). `became-law`
- **2026-04-29** Act 008, 04/28/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1108). `became-law`
- **2026-04-13** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2026-04-10** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 517).
- **2026-04-10** Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2026-04-09** One Day Notice 04-10-26.
- **2026-04-09** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading. `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2026-04-09** Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3658) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2026-03-17** 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, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-12** The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-17-26 9:55AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
- **2026-03-10** Referred to JDC. `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-10** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2026-03-10** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 185). `introduction, receipt`
- **2026-03-06** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Hashem, Olds, Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (5). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Passed Second Reading; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with Representative(s) Garcia voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso excused (1).
- **2026-03-05** Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 895-26), recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2026-02-19** The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Garcia; Noes: none; and Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-13** Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-19-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2026-01-28** Referred to JHA, referral sheet 3 `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-26** Introduced and Pass First Reading. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2026-01-23** Pending introduction.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dc45ed4c-8318-4881-b318-f74d2c23bdb2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).