HAWAIʻI STATE CAPITOL CLOSED FOR OPERATIONS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 17

HONOLULU, HAWAI'I– The Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be closed on Monday, August 17, following the Hawaiʻi Joint Information Center’s announcement regarding the closure of state and county offices due to Hurricane Lala impacts.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate and House of Representatives offices, Legislative Reference Bureau, including the Public Access Room and LRB Library, and other legislative services will be closed to the public. State legislators and their offices remain available to assist constituents by phone and email. Contact information for all legislators is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.

“While the Capitol building will be closed, the work of the Legislature continues," said Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi. "Many of our Senators are in their districts, boots on the ground, seeing the impacts firsthand and hearing directly from residents. They are also receiving updates from state and county agencies and working with them to help address the needs of their communities. Our focus is being there for our residents and helping move recovery efforts forward."

“House members and legislators have remained actively engaged throughout the weekend, working closely with state and county officials and community organizations to help safely expedite resources to impacted areas, while also meeting with constituents and responding to emergency calls. It has been a busy weekend, and while our in-person offices will be closed, we want to assure the public that we remain accessible and available to assist you and your ʻohana by phone and email,” said Speaker Nadine K. Nakamura.

Members of the public are encouraged to monitor official weather updates, stay prepared, and sign up for emergency alerts. The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) provides guidance on preparing for severe weather and disasters at ready.hawaii.gov. Under the state Department of Defense, HIEMA also offers links for residents to sign up for alerts from their respective county emergency management agencies at dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-ready/.