Important Legislative Hearings This Week – Your Voice Matters

News release from Hawaii Family Forum, Feb 7 2026

This week, the Hawaiʻi Legislature will be hearing three bills that raise serious concerns for families, communities, and the long-term well-being of our state. Each of these measures would move Hawaiʻi in a direction that deserves thoughtful scrutiny and prayerful consideration.

Below are the bills scheduled for hearings, along with the times and committees involved.  If you click on the talking points link, I have also provide the contact information for members on the committee. (If you live in the district of any member on the committees below, you will have already received notice and you can use those direct links to make contact.)

HB1875 Relating to Healthcare (Gender-Affirming Care)

This bill will be heard by a joint hearing of the House Committee on Health and the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce | Hearing on Monday, February 9 |  2:00 p.m. in room 329

HB1875 makes changes to Hawaiʻi law following a recent court decision and would expand how certain medical procedures (gender "affirming" care) and treatments for minors are addressed in statute. While framed as a technical or corrective measure, the bill raises significant concerns about parental rights, informed consent, and the long-term health and well-being of children. Because of its potential implications for families and medical decision-making, this bill deserves careful review and public input. 

Click here for talking points and to submit testimony in OPPOSITION.

HB2570 Relating to Sports Wagering

This bill will be heard by the House Committee on Economic Development & Technology on Wednesday, February 11 at 8:30 a.m. in room 423.

HB2570 would legalize and regulate online sports wagering in Hawaiʻi through mobile and digital platforms. Rather than simply regulating an existing activity, this bill would create a new gambling industry in a state that has historically rejected gambling due to its social harms. Online gambling, in particular, increases the risk of addiction, financial instability, and negative impacts on families and vulnerable populations.

Click here for talking points and to submit testimony in OPPOSITION.

HB1945 Relating to Gaming

This bill will also be heard by the House Committee on Economic Development & Technology on Wednesday, February 11 at 8:30 a.m. in room 423.

HB1945 would authorize prediction markets that allow people to place wagers on the outcomes of real-world events, including public policy and governmental actions. While presented as an economic or innovation measure, the bill effectively introduces another form of gambling and raises concerns about the commercialization of civic life, public trust, and the potential normalization of betting on matters that affect our communities and democracy.

Click here for talking points and to submit testimony on OPPOSITION.

Each of these bills raises important policy questions, and legislators need to hear directly from the people they serve.

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Pray.

Please pray for our legislators as they deliberate on issues that will affect Hawaiʻi’s families for years to come. Ask for wisdom, clarity, and courage to do what truly serves the public good.

2. Submit testimony.

We encourage you to submit testimony on each bill. We have provided talking points and contact information for committee members to make it easy for you to participate. Even brief testimony matters.

3. Invite others to speak up.

Please share this alert with your family, friends, church members, and colleagues, and encourage them to pray and submit testimony as well.

Hawaiʻi has long valued policies that protect families and communities. Your voice plays a vital role in preserving those values.

Mahalo for standing with us and for engaging in this important moment.

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Protecting Hawaiʻi’s Families from Gambling Expansion

News release from Hawaii Family Forum, Feb 6 2026

HB 1527 – Keeping Gambling Out of the Aloha Stadium District - DEFERRED

What the bill does:

Prohibits casino or gambling enterprises within or near the Aloha Stadium development and protects University of Hawaiʻi athletics from competing in gambling-connected venues, preserving the area as a safe, family-focused community space.

Hawaiʻi Family Forum Position: Support.

Public lands should serve families — not industries that profit from addiction and loss. This bill protects keiki, student-athletes, and the integrity of a major public gathering place while maintaining Hawaiʻi’s long-standing policy against casino gambling.

Status: Heard in House Water & Land committee yesterday (February 5, 2026) and was deferred.  The committee said gambling is already illegal, so this bill is not necessary.

HB 2198 – Closing the Prediction Market Gambling Loophole - PASSED

What the bill does:

Clarifies that online “prediction markets” — where people bet money on elections, sports, disasters, or other events — are considered gambling and prohibited under Hawaiʻi law.

Hawaiʻi Family Forum Position: Support.

These platforms disguise gambling as “investing,” normalize risky behavior, and even allow speculation on tragedy. This bill closes a dangerous loophole and strengthens protections for families and our community’s values.

Status: Heard in House Consumer Protection & Commerce and passed out of committee with amendments.  The vote in committee was as follows:
10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu

Next Step: The bill will now move to the House Finance Committee.

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

FEB 11 (HOUSE BILLS) & FEB 12 (SENATE BILLS) TRIPLE REFERRAL FILING – All bills referred to three or more committees must be filed so that they can be in their second-to-last committee by the following day. (Note: A referral to a joint committee counts as one committee referral.) This deadline allows ample time for successful bills to make their way to the last committee in their originating chamber by the First Lateral deadline. 
FEB 19 FIRST LATERAL FILING (BILLS) – Filing Deadline for First Lateral Bills 
FEB 20 FIRST LATERAL (BILLS) – All bills referred to more than one committee (i.e., those with multiple referrals) must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this day. 
FEB 26-MAR 4 MANDATORY 5-DAY RECESS – Hawaii’s Constitution mandates a 5 day recess between the 20th and 40th days of the regular session. Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate convene or assemble formally in chamber on recess days. Committee hearings do take place, however.

Across the Nation

On February 3, 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released a 2026 position statement on gender-related surgical interventions for children and adolescents, urging caution and restraint. ASPS recommends that these elective and irreversible procedures be deferred until at least age 19, noting that the current medical evidence regarding long-term outcomes for minors remains limited and uncertain. The statement emphasizes the medical community's responsibility to protect young people during critical stages of physical, emotional, and psychological development and to avoid irreversible decisions. 

The full statement can be read here.