HB 2491 Summary

• Requires all state and county agency letterhead containing Hawaiian names and words to use consistent spelling and punctuation, effective July 1, 2023, with existing letterhead to be updated upon replacement or reprinting.

• Establishes reference standards for Hawaiian spelling including the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary, Place Names of Hawaii, consultations with native speakers, Hawaii board on geographic names, and the Hawaiian newspaper collection Nupepa Olelo Hawaii.

• Permits use of kahakō (macrons) and ʻokina (glottal stops) in Hawaiian language words in state and county documents.

• Requires the governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, and heads of principal departments to prominently display a Hawaiian translation of their office or department name on official websites and letterhead stationery.

• Specifies that violations do not invalidate documents or create causes of action, and allows two versions of documents to be made available if conflicts exist between native speaker and second language speaker usage.