HI SB57

Appropriates funds from general revenues to the judiciary to support ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) initiatives for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, with the specific dollar amount left blank in the bill text.

Establishes legislative findings that Hawaiian and English are official languages under Hawaii State Constitution Article XV, Section 4, and that the state must promote Hawaiian culture, history, and language.

References the judiciary's prior task force work (initiated by 2015 House Concurrent Resolution No. 217) which found that Hawaiian language possesses sufficient legal terminology and sophistication for court translation and interpretation services.

Notes that Hawaiian ranks fifth among non-English languages spoken at home in Hawaii according to 2009-2013 Census data, and that the judiciary can serve as a model for demonstrating Hawaiian language use.

Specifies that appropriated funds are not intended to supplant existing judiciary funding or budget requests and shall be expended by the judiciary for purposes of the Act.