In one paragraph
Hawaii's HB 2591 (2026) would have required the State's Chief Data Officer to turn the open data portal into a hub with an AI chatbot and data visualizations on statewide shared data sets, and to set up a system to evaluate AI governance tools and collect agency reports of AI use cases and vendors. It would have appropriated $2,000,000 for FY 2026-2027. It was referred to ECD and FIN on February 2, 2026 and was not enacted.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill did not pass. It would have put duties on the State's Chief Data Officer and agencies, with no requirements for private businesses.
Key provisions
- Chief Data Officer would build and publish an AI chatbot and data visualizations on the open data portal, developed in phases with published tests and yearly audits
- Chatbot would have to answer in English and Olelo Hawaii, include a source link in every answer, disclose answers are AI-generated, let users reach a human, not give legal or medical advice, and not let users delete or export collected data
- Rules under HRS chapter 91 on security (based on NIST SP 800-53), privacy preventing training on user prompts, retention limits and whether conversations are government records
- Chief Data Officer would build a system to evaluate AI governance tools for state procurement and a mechanism for agencies to report AI use cases and AI vendors, published on data.hawaii.gov
- Appropriation of $2,000,000 for FY 2026-2027, including one AI engineer and one AI scientist position; would have taken effect July 1, 2026
Latest legislative action
Feb 2, 2026. Referred to ECD, FIN, referral sheet 6
Sponsors (showing 5 of 44)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| AMATO | Primary |
| AQUINO | Primary |
| BELATTI | Primary |
| CHUN | Primary |
| CULLEN | Primary |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error