Hawai'i Marriage Equality Act of 2013

Author/Sponsor:
Date Introduced: 28 October 2013
Date Enacted: 13 November 2013

Description:

• January 2013, a bill was introduced in the Hawai'i House of Representatives and Senate that would legalize same-sex marriage. Despite the support of Governor Abercrombie and the Hawai'i Congressional delegation, the Legislature adjourned without voting on the legislation.
• On September 9, Governor Abercrombie announced that he was calling the Hawai'i State Legislature into special session on October 28 to consider the same-sex marriage bill.
• The bill had wide support in the Senate as well as the required majority in the House. If approved, the bill would take effect November 18.
• 5,184 people signed up to testify re: the bill in Committee hearings. By the end of November 4, all initial testifiers had been heard.
• Following extensive public debate and an attempted "citizens' filibuster" of the legislation to block its progress, the full state House advanced the same-sex marriage bill to a final vote 30-18.
• On November 8, the House passed the bill on its final reading 30-19. Since the House had amended the bill, the Senate would also have to approve the expanded religious exemption amendment for the bill to become law. The Senate voted 19-4 in favor of the amended bill on November 12, and the final version of the bill was signed into law by Governor Abercrombie on November 13.
• The bill took effect on 2 December 2013.