Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63 (2026)

  Civil actions for injunctive relief or damages

✓ current as of July 2026
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     §378-63  Civil actions for injunctive relief or damages.  (a)  A person who alleges a violation of this part may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.

     (b)  An action commenced pursuant to subsection (a) may be brought in the circuit court for the circuit where the alleged violation occurred, where the complainant resides, or where the person against whom the civil complaint is filed resides or has a principal place of business.

     (c)  As used in subsection (a), "damages" means damages for injury or loss caused by each violation of this part, including reasonable attorney fees. [L 1987, c 267, pt of §1; am L 2002, c 56, §3]

 

Case Notes

 

  Plaintiff's state whistleblower claim under §378-62 barred, where plaintiff did not file complaint until well after the ninety-day period after the most recent alleged violation of the whistleblowers' protection act.  75 F. Supp. 2d 1113 (1999).

  Count of complaint alleging that plaintiff was wrongfully discharged in violation of 31 U.S.C. §3730(h) of the False Claims Act was time-barred, where the court found that the Hawaii Whistleblowers' Protection Act provided the state cause of action most closely analogous to a 31 U.S.C. §3730(h) claim for retaliatory discharge, and thus applied a ninety-day statute of limitations to plaintiff's claim for retaliatory discharge.  362 F. Supp. 2d 1203 (2005).

  Plaintiff's Whistleblowers' Protection Act claim was time-barred, where plaintiff took more than two years after the date of the last adverse action that plaintiff identified as relevant to the lawsuit to file suit.  938 F. Supp. 2d 1000 (2013).

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 21 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2005–2026 · leading case: Graham Cnty. Soil & Water Conservation Dist. v. United States Ex Rel. Wilson, 545 U.S. 409 (2005).
Graham Cnty. Soil & Water Conservation Dist. v. United States Ex Rel. Wilson, 545 U.S. 409 (2005). · cites it 2× “§ 9-3-33 (Lexis 1982) (personal injuries); Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63 (a) (Supp. 2004) (retaliation action for whistle-blowers); Idaho Code §§ 5-224 , 6-2105(2) (Lexis 1998) (catchall; retaliation action for whistle-blowers); Ill.”
Lalau v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 938 F. Supp. 2d 1000 (D. Haw. 2013). · cites it 4× “See Haw.Rev.Stat. § 378-63 (“A person who alleges a violation of this part may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
United States Ex Rel. Lockyer v. Hawaii Pac. Health, 490 F. Supp. 2d 1062 (D. Haw. 2007). · cites it 2× “HRS § 378-63 (2003)(amended by L 2002, c 56, § 3).”
Aoyagi v. Straub Clinic & Hosp., Inc., 140 F. Supp. 3d 1043 (D. Haw. 2015). · cites it 2× “Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63 (a). Even assuming, however, that Plaintiffs HWPA claim is not barred by the statute of limitations, it appears to be premised upon the exact same facts as those of her retaliation claim and therefore must fail on the same grounds as those discussed…”
United Pub. Workers, AFSCME, Local 636, AFL-CIO v. Abercrombie., 325 P.3d 600 (Haw. 2014). · cites it 4× “The HWPA, at HRS § 378-63, states as follows: (a) A person who alleges a violation of this part may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
You v. Longs Drugs Stores California, LLC, 937 F. Supp. 2d 1237 (D. Haw. 2013). “To do so would, in many eases, cause the two-year limitation period in section 378-63 to run. Having detailed its concerns about requiring exhaustion for section 378-62 claims, this court is fortunately able to leave an actual decision on that issue for another day.”
Kosegarten v. Dep't of Prosecuting Attorney, 892 F. Supp. 2d 1245 (D. Haw. 2012). · cites it 2× “Haw.Rev. Stat. § 378-63(a). Count V alleges that the County “discharged, threatened, or otherwise discriminated against Plaintiff regarding her terms, conditions, and privileges of employment” because she “reported, or was about to report, to Defendant County or a public body, a…”
United States Ex Rel. Woodruff v. Hawai'i Pac. Health, 560 F. Supp. 2d 988 (D. Haw. 2008). · cites it 2× “Footnote three of the opinion catalogues analogous state statutes of limitations including HRS § 378-63(a), which contains a two-year statute of limitations.”
Campbell v. Dep't of Human Servs., 349 F. Supp. 3d 1019 (D. Haw. 2018). · cites it 2× “Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63 (b). Nor does the legislative history of section 378-70 show that the State of Hawaii intended to consent to federal suit for whistleblower claims.”
United States Ex Rel. Hinden v. UNC/Lear Servs., Inc., 362 F. Supp. 2d 1203 (D. Haw. 2005). · cites it 2× “HRS § 378-63 (2003)(amended by L 2002, c 56, § 3).”
Lopes v. Kapiolani Med. Ctr. for Women & Child., 410 F. Supp. 2d 939 (D. Haw. 2005). · cites it 2× “Haw.Rev.Stat. § 378-63(a) (“A person who alleges a violation of this part [Whistle-blowers’ Protection Act] may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
Lopes v. Kapiolani Med. Ctr. for Women, 410 F. Supp. 2d 939 (D. Haw. 2005). · cites it 2× “Haw.Rev.Stat. § 378-63(a) ("A person who alleges a violation of this part [Whistleblowers' Protection Act] may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-63(a) — 7 cases
Kosegarten v. Dep't of Prosecuting Attorney, 892 F. Supp. 2d 1245 (D. Haw. 2012). “Haw.Rev. Stat. § 378-63(a). Count V alleges that the County “discharged, threatened, or otherwise discriminated against Plaintiff regarding her terms, conditions, and privileges of employment” because she “reported, or was about to report, to Defendant County or a public body, a…”
United States Ex Rel. Woodruff v. Hawai'i Pac. Health, 560 F. Supp. 2d 988 (D. Haw. 2008). “Footnote three of the opinion catalogues analogous state statutes of limitations including HRS § 378-63(a), which contains a two-year statute of limitations.”
Lopes v. Kapiolani Med. Ctr. for Women & Child., 410 F. Supp. 2d 939 (D. Haw. 2005). “Haw.Rev.Stat. § 378-63(a) (“A person who alleges a violation of this part [Whistle-blowers’ Protection Act] may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
Lopes v. Kapiolani Med. Ctr. for Women, 410 F. Supp. 2d 939 (D. Haw. 2005). “Haw.Rev.Stat. § 378-63(a) ("A person who alleges a violation of this part [Whistleblowers' Protection Act] may bring a civil action for appropriate injunctive relief, or actual damages, or both within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation of this part.”
Sakaguchi v. Univ. of Hawai'i (Haw. App. 2026).
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