Committee adopts AG and industry amendments to AI bill, sends measure forward with changes

The committee voted to pass House Bill 2137 HD3 after adopting amendments recommended by the Attorney General’s office and industry representatives designed to reduce ambiguity and narrow the bill’s scope.

Deputy Attorney General Ashley Tanaka requested deletion of an ambiguous paragraph in the draft and offered alternative language to resolve unclear phrasing. Industry witnesses including Aiden Downey from the Computer and Communications Industry Association urged amendments to focus liability on bad actors, protect free expression (by narrowing digital‑impersonation definitions and adding exemptions for news, parody and satire), and to limit damages so the statute targets demonstrable harm.

The committee accepted the Attorney General’s proposed edits and several industry suggestions; the chair noted the committee would defer the effective date to Jan. 1, 2077. Yasmine Cheney of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women stood on written testimony in support.

What happens next: HB2137 HD3 advances from committee with the adopted AG and industry amendments; the committee report will reflect the amended language and the deferred effective date.