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HRS §1-2

When a law takes effect after being printed

A written law does not apply to anyone until it is printed and made public, unless the legislature says otherwise. But certain money-related laws, like budgets, loans, pensions, and franchises, take effect on their own terms without needing to be printed first.

everyone

The statute, as written — - 2 Certain laws not obligatory until published

No written law, unless otherwise specifically provided by legislative enactment, except general or special appropriation acts, loan fund acts, pension acts, and franchise acts, shall be obligatory without first being printed and made public. General or special appropriation acts, loan fund acts, pension acts, and franchise acts, whether affecting state funds or the funds of county or other municipal subdivisions or commissions, shall become operative according to their respective terms. [CC 1859, §1; RL 1925, §3; RL 1935, §3; am L 1935, c 10, §2; RL 1945, §3; RL 1955, §1-3; HRS §1-2]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.