Jan 18

Opening Day
This day marks the official commencement of a new legislative session which the Constitution of the State of Hawaii requires to occur at 10 o’clock a.m. on the third Wednesday in January.

Jan 20

Non-Admin Bill Package Cutoff

Jan 23

State-of-the-State Address and Admin. Bill Package Cutoff

Jan 24

Recess #1

Jan 25

Bill Intro Cutoff
LAST DAY TO INTRODUCE BILLS
The Legislature has the flexibility to establish the deadline for introducing bills.
Both houses of the Legislature may set additional deadlines before Bill Cutoff which affect the introduction of bills, such as a deadline after which the number of bills each legislator may introduce per day is limited.

Jan 26

Recess #2

Jan 31

Grants/Subsidies Cutoff

Feb 17

First Lateral
LAST DAY TO MOVE BILLS TO A FINAL COMMITTEE IN THE SAME HOUSE
Most bills are referred to more than one committee in the same house. If the lead referral committee decides to move a measure out of committee, then the measure must go to the next referral committee for further consideration. To ensure that all referral committees have time to review the bill, a "lateral" deadline is established. Bills with more than one referral must move to the final committee by this date to remain alive.

Feb 20

HOLIDAY: President's Day

Feb 23 thru March 1

Mandatory Five Day Recess
THE “COOLING OFF” PERIOD
The mandatory recess is intended to encourage the public to review all of the bills introduced during the session. It provides legislators an opportunity to schedule public meetings in their districts to brief their constituents on the major issues facing the Legislature.

Mar 3

First Decking
LAST DAY TO DECK BILLS FOR THIRD READING IN THE ORIGINAL HOUSE
Decking refers to the time when a bill in the final form in which it is intended to be passed is made available to members of the Legislature (i.e. "Decking"--placed on the deck) for 48 hours prior to being voted on for passage. Any bill not submitted in its final form by the decking deadline no longer can be considered for passage during the session.
However, bills introduced during the session of an odd-numbered biennium year (e.g. the 2005 session) that fail to meet this deadline can be considered again during the session of an even-numbered biennium year (e.g. the 2006 session). That means all bills introduced in the 2005 session that do not become law can still be considered in the 2006 session.

Mar 6

Recess #3

Mar 8

Recess #4

Mar 9

First Crossover (Bills)
LAST DAY FOR THIRD READING OF BILLS IN THE ORIGINATING HOUSE
This is the deadline for bills to pass Third Reading and then move (or "cross over") to the other house for consideration. For this reason, this is called the crossover deadline. First Crossover is the last day for a final vote to be taken in the house of origin before passing a bill on to the second house. Second Crossover is the last day for a final vote in the second house before sending a bill back to its house of origin.

Mar 15

Substantive Reso. Cutoff

Mar 21

Budget Decking

Mar 23

Budget Crossover

Mar 24

Second Lateral
All Senate bills with House referrals, and all House bills with Senate referrals, must move to their final referral committees by second lateral to remain alive.

Mar 27

HOLIDAY: Kuhio Day (Observed)

Mar 29

Recess #5

Apr 4

First Lateral (Conc. Resos)

Apr 7

Second Decking
LAST DAY TO DECK BILLS WHICH WERE AMENDED BY THE RECEIVING (NON-ORIGINATING) BODY
Because we have a bicameral system, if one house amends a measure, the other house must have the opportunity to agree or disagree with the amendments made by the first house. The convening of a House-Senate conference committee is used to resolve differences if there is formal disagreement. To provide sufficient time for the house that drafted the bill to consider the other body's amendments and, if necessary, to convene a conference committee, this deadline is set to deck all bills that were amended by the non-originating (or receiving) house.

Apr 10

Recess #6

Apr 12

Recess #7

Apr 13

Second Crossover (Bills) & Disagree & First Crossover (Conc. Resos)
SECOND CROSSOVER: LAST DAY FOR THIRD READING OF BILLS WHICH WERE AMENDED BY THE RECEIVING (NON-ORIGINATING) BODY
This deadline is also known as the Second Crossover, because all bills amended by the non-originating body are returned to the chamber from which they originated. Forty-eight hours must have elapsed from the time these bills were decked. The only bills that need not comply with this deadline are bills that will not be amended by the non-originating body because they need not return to the originating body.
DISAGREE: LAST DAY TO DISAGREE WITH THE OTHER CHAMBER'S DRAFTS OF BILLS
Either house can agree or disagree to the amendments made to its bill by the other body. If either house chooses to disagree, it must do so by this deadline.
CROSSOVER: LAST DAY TO PASS CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS TO THE NON-ORIGINATING BODY
For concurrent resolutions to remain alive, they must be adopted in their originating houses by this deadline. If adopted, these concurrent resolutions then cross over to the other house for further consideration.

Apr 14

Good Friday

Apr 21

Constitutional Amendment

Apr 24

Second Crossover (Conc. Resos.)
CROSSOVER: LAST DAY TO PASS CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS BACK TO THE ORIGINATING BODY

Apr 27

Final Decking (Non-Fiscal Bills)
LAST DAY TO DECK BILLS FOR FINAL READING
Final Decking generally applies to bills amended by the non-originating body and whose differences have been resolved either by a conference committee or reconsideration by the originating body. Final Decking also applies to bills that were not amended by the non-originating body.

Apr 28

Final Decking (Fiscal Bills)
LAST DAY TO DECK BILLS FOR FINAL READING

May 1

Recess #8

May 3

Recess #9

May 4

Adjournment Sine Die
This is the last day for votes to be taken on bills up for Final Reading and on resolutions up for adoption. It is the last day of session.

May 29

HOLIDAY: Memorial Day