During the 1989 Legislative session, the Hawai`i State Legislature enacted into law Senate Bill 832 (Act 331, Session Laws of Hawai`i 1989) to improve public access to legislative information.

Originally staffed by community volunteers, the PAR was established as part of a permanent public access program in 1994, offering a year-round staff and services.

In 1996, the PAR was transferred to the Legislative Reference Bureau.

View , A Timeline of Public Access In Hawai`i (pdf).

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STATE CAPITOL
Room 401
415 So Beretania St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 587-0478 phone
(808) 587-0749 TTY phone
(808) 587-0793 fax

HOURS:
Session:
M-F 8am - 6pm
Sat 8am - 2pm
Interim:
M-F 9am - 5pm

e-mail:
   par@capitol.hawaii.gov

From the Neighbor Islands,
dial toll free:
974-4000 Hawai`i
984-2400 Maui
274-3141 Kaua`i
Moloka`i/Lana`i:
    1-800-468-4644
followed by the extension:
Ext. 7-0478 office
Ext. 7-0793 fax

PAR Services

If you visit the PAR, all of these services and resources will be available to you. Some of these resources may also be accessed via this Web site. Please call or email if you have any questions.

  • A public phone for short local calls related to legislative issues.
  • TTY telephone service for the deaf or hearing impaired.
  • Wheelchair accessibility.
  • Large-print reading materials.
     
  • A complete copy of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) and annual updates.
  • Complete Session Laws.
  • Dictionaries (English, Hawaiian, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Chinese, Tagalog, Ilocano) and thesauruses.
  • Phone books for all Hawaiian Islands.
  • Almanacs.
     
  • Free copies of your testimony to be presented before Legislative Committees.
  • Computers and office supplies to prepare testimony for Legislative Committees.
  • Workspace for writing, researching and conducting small meetings.
  • Computer terminals to track bills on the Legislature's Website and research issues on the Internet.
  • A television for viewing House and Senate proceedings courtesy of the Legislative Broadcast Project.
     
  • In-house viewing of DVDs, from the PAR library, relating to the three branches of government; the Bill of Rights & the U.S. Constitution; the Founding Fathers of the United States; and School House Rock.
  • Hearing notices for the House and Senate.
  • House and Senate Orders of the Day.
  • Governor's appointments to boards and committees.
     
  • Information Sheets: handouts with key information about the legislature.
  • Mahalo mailbox.