Hawaii Legislature

WEBSITE GUIDE
~ A Gateway to the Capitol ~
capitol.hawaii.gov
The Hawaii State Legislature's website is a great resource. The data systems' offices continue to redesign and
improve it, enabling the public to more easily access information, track bills, and deliver testimony. This
handout provides an initial orientation and introduces you to some of the website's many useful features.

HOME PAGE: capitol.hawaii.gov

• The home page serves as a "dashboard," allowing you to access just about anything you will need.
• As you navigate the site, you can return to the home page at any time by clicking anywhere on the
website's headline (blue area, pictured above) or the "Home" icon in the upper right-hand corner.
• Keep an eye out for announcements and timely information that will be posted in the shaded "Recent
Updates" box.
• There are 9 Handy Icons that appear in the center of the home page.
Testimony, Hearing Notification, and Measure Tracking. This top row of buttons is for features
you can access once you've signed into the website. They can help by ensuring you don't miss
anything, as well as by saving you time. See pages 6 and 7 of this guide for additional information
on these interactive features.

Legislators, Committees, Reports and

Lists. On the second row, clicking on
the first two buttons presents lists of
legislators and committees. The third
button, "Reports and Lists," brings
you to a wealth of information – lists
of all bills introduced, bill packages,
and numerous specialized search
functions. Additional information
appears on page 8. You'll want to be
sure to take a moment and explore
this key portal to the website.
Hearings, Order of the Day, Broadcasts/Video. Find hearing notices and the agendas for
House and Senate floor sessions (Orders of the Day). Find what has been scheduled for
broadcast, as well as videos of archived hearings and floor sessions.

State of Hawaii's Hawaii State Capitol

Public Access Room (PAR) 415 South Beretania Street, Room 401, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-0478
A division of the Legislative Reference Bureau Website: https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/
 Often-Used Features of the Home page
capitol.hawaii.gov
(see below and next page for details)
More
info on
pp.6-7

A B C

D
E F

More information on these interactive features on pp. 6-7

More
H info on
I
p.8

These
file dir-
ectories
may be
helpful
to more
ad- J K L M
vanced
users

A Legislative Calendar: Click on the link to view the current Legislative Calendar. This will show you
deadlines, session days (when House and Senate actually convene in their chambers), recess days, and
holidays. After you've followed the link, click the "Printable PDF Version" button – it brings you to PAR's
calendar, which provides additional internal deadlines as well as information on what they all mean.
B Session Convene Times: This is where you can find out when the Senate and House will next convene
(meet in formal session). If it is interim (the time between regular legislative sessions), it will note that here.
C Find Your Legislator: A handy feature to quickly find out who represents you (or a friend, colleague, or
anyone else!) in the House and Senate. Just enter your address in the search box on the right and then hit
'enter.' The map will pinpoint the location, and the results box will indicate that 1 Senate District and 1 House
District were found. Click on the arrows in the results box -- for each chamber, you will find a district number,
the name of your legislator, their contact information and a photo. The district boundaries will appear on the
map. (Click the arrow in the results box to go back to results, and find the legislator for the other chamber.)
Alternatively, use the map -- click on a spot, the address will appear, and the results will pop up.

Page 2 Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021)

D Searchboxes
• In the top searchbox, "Bill Status/Measure Status," enter the bill or resolution you're interested in – just
enter the prefix and the number – no draft numbers and no spaces. (For example, enter "HB123" rather than
"H.B. 123 HD1 SD1.") This will bring you to the measure's status sheet (more about what you'll find there on
pages 4-5).
• You can use the "Keyword Search" box to search through the content of bills, resolutions, and committee
reports for words or phrases. For help and examples, click on the "How to Use the Searchboxes" link that
appears above the boxes. (Note: See page 8 for another search method for bills – Subject Search.)
E Recent Updates: It's always worth a quick glance to see if there's anything new in the "Recent Updates"
box. The webmasters make a point of providing helpful links and timely information.
F Chamber Pages, Archives, Legislative Information, Special Studies, Links
• The bars in the upper right of the home page offer a wealth of information. The Senate and House bars will
bring you to each chamber's page, where you can find their rules, special procedures, pilot projects, majority
and minority caucus sites, journals, archived webcasts, and much more.
• The "Archives" bar provides access to measures introduced in previous sessions as far back as 1999. After
you select a year, you can search by keyword or bill number to find measures, or use one of the many reports
links to find lists of bills, resolutions, Governor's Messages or acts.
• A variety of information can be found under "Legislative Information," including budget worksheets, Grant-
in-Aid applications, and Opening Day remarks. If a special legislative committee has convened, you may find
its reports under "Special Studies." Finally, the "Links" bar provides easy access to other useful resource
pages.
G Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS)
• Use the searchbox within this section to look in the HRS for specific words or phrases. (For help, use the
"How to Use Searchboxes" link that appears above the column of searchboxes.)
• To find a specific section number, it's usually faster to use the "Browse HRS Sections" link to zero in on it.
• The "Table of Contents" link allows you to glance through the structure of the HRS and find the area of law
you're looking for.
• The "Index" and "Index Supplement" links provide additional search tools which are especially helpful if you
are not certain of the terminology used in the law.
H Session Laws (Acts): New feature! Search for session laws (bills that were enacted) back to 1959, or select
"Browse SLH Sections by Year" to access a particular year's acts of law. Each year includes a great subject
index for help in searching.

(Information on using the top row of icons, the interactive features, can be found on pages 6-7.
Additional information on the "Reports and Lists" feature can be found on page 8.)

I Legislators and Committees: Quick access to lists of "Legislators" and "Committees." On the resulting
pages, you may choose to limit your selections to display only the House or Senate. You'll find additional
information by clicking on particular legislators or committees.
J Hearings: Notices for upcoming "Hearings" and informational briefings are listed here (as well as access to
past hearings by date or by measure). Note: You may want to sign up to receive hearing notices by email on
measures you're interested in – see interactive feature on pp. 6-7.

K Order of the Day: Allows you to view the agendas for the floor sessions taking place in the House and
Senate (note that if it is a recess day, no Order of the Day will be available). Usually only available an hour or
so before convene time. Use calendar to select previous dates.
Broadcasts/Video: Brings you to the upcoming broadcast schedule, as well as House and Senate Webcasts
L pages where you can view previously recorded and/or broadcast hearings and floor sessions.

M Help and Information: The icons in this box are mostly pretty self-explanatory. Take a moment to click
through to see the wide variety of information available.
Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021) Page 3
 Bill Status Sheet – Easy-to-Access Features
(see next page for details)

Handy feature if you'd

like to go straight to
another bill status page

N
O Bill Title (never
changes)

R
P
Description (changes as
the bill changes)
S

Everything that
happens to the
bill will appear T
here

Q
U

Page 4 Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021)

 Bill Status Sheet – Easy-to-Access Features
Bill status sheets have been designed to offer easy access to up-to-date and relevant information. Related documents
are listed and quickly accessible with just a click!

N Submit Testimony
• A short-cut to the webform used to submit testimony appears on each bill's status page.
• Please note that you are only able to submit testimony if the bill is scheduled for a hearing and if the committee
is accepting testimony.

O Most Current Version of Measure: Just click on the bill number at the top of the page and you'll be able
to read the bill. It will appear in a web-based format – click on the Adobe Acrobat symbol next to it for the
downloadable .pdf version. (While the content is identical, the .pdf version will show you the printed measure's
page and line numbers.)

P Measure Title/Report Title/Description/etc.: This top section shows the measure title (which never
changes for a bill), description (which changes as the bill changes), and the legislator(s) who introduced the
measure (the first name is considered the author of the bill). You can also see at a glance whether the bill was
submitted as a part of a package of legislation, and its latest referral.

Q Status Text: This is a timeline listing all the activity for a measure. Everything that happens to the bill or
resolution will be posted here. (An "S" indicates a Senate action; an "H" indicates a House action.)

R On Demand Media
• If one or more of the hearings for the measure have been broadcast, this link will bring you to the on-demand
video page which has links to the videos.
• Only select hearings are filmed and broadcast; the vast majority are not. For more information on the Legislative
Broadcast Project, contact the Public Access Room.

S All Versions of this Measure: Easy links to current and previous versions of the bill are listed.

T Committee Reports: Easy links to Committee Reports are listed chronologically, from oldest to most
recent. Committee reports are very helpful since they summarize the changes made to the measure from one
version to the next.

U Testimony
• Easy links to the written testimony received at each hearing.
• Each link opens a searchable .pdf file.
• Reviewing previously submitted testimony can be helpful in preparing your own, or understanding previous
areas of discussion.

V Hearing Notices: Lists all hearing notices for the measure. Instructions for submitting testimony can be
found at the end of each hearing notice.

W Links back to other features on the Home page

• Handy navigation back to certain home page features.
• This includes a helpful list of "Links" to other government pages and websites.

Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021) Page 5

 Interactive Features: Sign In and…
Learn to use these helpful interactive features:

"Testimony,"
"Hearing Notification," and
"Measure Tracking."

The "Sign In" and "Register" links are in the upper right-hand corner
next to the "Home" button.

Click on "Sign In" and enter the password you

created for this website.

First Time Users:

If this is your first time using the interactive features of the website, you'll have to
Register. Click on "Register" and enter your name, email address, and the password
you'd like to use for the website. After you've agreed to the terms and conditions, you
will be directed to go to your email account and open the email sent to you by the
website. (This confirms you are not a robot.) Follow the instructions for confirming your
account. You'll only have to register once.

Once you've signed in, the links convert to

"Edit Account" and "Log Out."

After you sign in, the top three buttons in the center of the page turn into orange,
round icons – this indicates that you now have access to the interactive features!
For example:

More information on these three interactive features appears on the next page.

Page 6 Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021)

 Interactive Features: Sign In and…
The "Testimony" feature provides an easy and efficient way to submit testimony online –
you'll upload the file that contains your testimony, or type it into the comments box on the
form.
After signing in, click on this button. Then, enter the bill number you want to testify on and
its hearing information will appear along with a submission form. Proceed to fill out the
form that appears (you'll be asked if you are testifying as a group or individual, opposed or supporting the measure,
and whether you'll be present at the hearing). Use the "Choose File" or "Browse" button to upload the file you've
saved on your computer that includes your testimony. (Another option: Instead, you may type your testimony
directly into the "Testimony/Comments" box.)
Click "Submit." Your testimony confirmation will appear in the left-hand column, highlighted in green, showing it
was successfully processed and submitted.

The "Hearing Notification" icon allows you to receive email notification of hearings for
specific measures or committees. It's a great way to make sure you don't miss the chance
to testify!
After you sign in, click on this button to go to a page where you may "Subscribe by
Measure" and/or "Subscribe by Committee." To receive a hearing notice whenever a
particular bill or resolution is scheduled for a hearing, simply enter the bill or resolution number in the "Subscribe
by Measure" box and click "Add." Repeat for all the measures you'd like to receive notices for. You may also use
the "Subscribe by Committee" feature – just click the box next to any committee whose hearing notices you'd like
to receive.
Then "Save and Exit" by clicking the button centered near the top of the page and you'll be good to go.
Return to this feature any time you'd like to cancel or change your selections.

"Measure Tracking" is an incredibly useful feature introduced by popular demand. After

you sign in, click this button to go to a page where you'll be able to create, modify, or view
your lists.
If you're just starting, you'll need to create a list. You can name it anything – simply enter a
name and click "Create List." (You can create many different lists, if you like. This is helpful
if you have certain distinct areas of interest – for example, you can create separate lists for environmental
legislation, education measures, housing, etc.)
Next, click on "Show List." The list's name will appear in the right column. Then, add as many measures to the list as
you like – just enter a bill number in the space and click on "Add a Measure." Repeat the process until you've
added all the bills you'd like to appear on that list. If you'd like, you can "Add Notes" for any item to personalize
your list or highlight an item.
Finally, click on "Generate Report." Your list can be viewed as a handy report that shows each measure with its
description and current status, and contains links to its status sheet and its current draft. (Note: The report is sort-
able – just click the column headers. This is especially helpful to find out which items have seen recent activity, or
to have the bills listed in numerical order.) You can also export reports in Excel or database formats, which can be
incredibly useful when sharing and/or presenting information.
Check your measure tracking lists as often as you like. It's easy to add or delete items from your lists as the session
progresses.
Tips: When printing the report, use the landscape orientation for best results. Save it as a .pdf file if you want to
attach it to an email.

Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021) Page 7

 "Reports and Lists" Page
There's a wealth of tools available on the "Reports and Lists" page. These very useful tools were once available only
to the legislative offices. Now the public is able to make good use of them as well.

Go to the Legislature's homepage (http://capitol.hawaii.gov), click on the "Reports and Lists"

icon and start to explore.

On the left side of the screen, you will see the heading "Deadline Tracking." To the right of this is
a long list of reports that are just a click away. Using these as the session progresses will give you access to searchable,
sortable, and downloadable lists of measures that have survived significant deadlines. It's a great way to keep up with
what's still viable.

This page's features

are available for
previous years back
to 2013 – select year
here

Next, scroll down the list of

headings on the left. There's
a lot there! You'll be able to
find and customize reports
based on committee
referrals, who's introduced
legislation, measures by
package, and much more.

A very useful feature for finding bills

is "Subject Search." Enter a word or
phrase exactly how you think it
appears in a bill's title, keywords, or
description. The results are presented
in report form.

Note: Unlike the "Bills/Committee Reports" feature on the home page, the "Subject Search" feature does not search the
entire content of bills; it only searches through bills' titles, keywords, and descriptions. That's usually ample, though, and
this search feature can save loads of time. Just a click presents a report of the results which is easy to browse through to
find what you're looking for. Try it!

Take a few minutes now to familiarize yourself with some of the many Reports and Lists available.
You'll quickly be adept at finding information (and creating easy-to-read, professional reports)
at a moment's notice!
Please don't hesitate to contact PAR (587-0478 or [email protected]) if you need assistance!
We're always happy to help you. [Revised 1/4/2021]

Page 8 Overview of Hawaii State Legislature's Website (Jan 2021)