Hawaii bill shields child welfare groups from jury trials

Relating To Liability.

Engrossed· 2026-03-10

Who's it for

Who's it for: Child welfare nonprofits and insurers

What it means for you

2/10Hurts you

Bad for everyday people ·

Right removedImmunity

Plain‑English summary, cross‑checked against the official bill text.

If a state-hired child welfare group harms your child, this bill takes away your right to a jury trial and blocks extra money for extreme wrongdoing.

Our take

What we think, in plain words.

This bill bails out child welfare groups and their insurance companies by taking away the rights of harmed children. If a foster care group makes a terrible mistake, the family would not get a jury trial. They also could not get punitive damages, which are meant to punish the worst behavior. The state wants to keep these groups running by lowering their insurance costs, but it is doing so by making sure abused or neglected kids cannot get full justice in court. Now is the time to speak up before this passes.

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The facts

What the bill actually says, no spin.

Blocks victims from having their case heard by a jury, forcing a judge to decide instead.
Bans courts from forcing these groups to pay extra money for extreme bad behavior.
Stops victims from collecting interest on the money they are owed while waiting for payment.
Limits how much the group has to pay if multiple people are at fault for hurting a child.
Helps nonprofits keep their state contracts by lowering their insurance costs.