HAWAII — Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2494 into law on Friday, extending Hawaii’s statute of limitations for bribery from three years to nine years. The new law took effect immediately upon his signature.

Green called the legislation “a pretty pretty straightforward piece of legislation.” He added, “The goal is to combat corruption. You know, there should be no ambiguity.” Green also said, “When we provide our system the necessary tools to pursue justice, we reaffirm our commitment to leading with integrity.”

Senate Commerce and Consumer Affairs Chairman Jarrett Keohokalole, an Oahu Democrat who authored the bill, said he extended the statute of limitations to give state authorities more time to investigate allegations of corruption and bring charges. “This was a straightforward way to insure that if there was wrongdoing committed, then the perpetrators could not just run out the clock and avoid accountability and justice,” Keohokalole said. He added, “Crimes should not go unpunished because of the passage of time. This bill preserves accountability in government at a moment when the public demands it.”

The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. David Tarnas, a Waimea Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, called the bill “important for building confidence in government.” Tarnas said, “This bill is meant to strengthen our ability to investigate and prosecute bribery while reinforcing the state’s commitment to good governance and accountability.” He noted, “We’ve had a tough time these past four years, you know. Two legislators were indicted for bribery,” and added, “And so, this bill is to send a message that we have no tolerance for corruption.”

Why It Matters

The law’s enactment follows a series of public corruption cases in Hawaii. In 2022, former Senate majority leader J. Kalani English and then-House Finance Committee vice chair Ty Cullen pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Milton Choy, owner of a Honolulu wastewater company. English received a 40-month prison sentence and Cullen 24 months, with the latter benefiting from a reduced sentence due to cooperation with the FBI. Both were later released early from federal custody.

Separately, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who was House Finance Committee chair in January 2022, took an indefinite unpaid leave after admitting she failed to disclose two $5,000 donations she received that month from Honolulu businessman and lobbyist Tobi Solidum and his daughter, Kristen Pae. Luke stated she returned the checks in March 2022 but omitted them from campaign reports due to clerical oversight. Federal and state authorities are also investigating another unnamed influential legislator who allegedly accepted $35,000 in a paper bag in 2022.