HAR § 12-46 § 12-46-15
Conciliation agreement.
Operative Text
(a) In attempting to conciliate a case after a determination of reasonable cause has been made, the executive director shall endeavor to achieve a resolution of all violations found and to obtain agreement that the respondent shall eliminate the unlawful discriminatory practice and provide appropriate relief. (b) Where conciliation efforts are successful, the terms of the conciliation shall be reduced to a written agreement which shall be signed by the parties and the executive director; provided that, in the judgment of the executive director, the agreement provides full and fair relief to the complainant. A copy of the signed conciliation agreement shall be sent to the parties. (c) Where the case has been referred to a hearings examiner, the parties shall not enter into a conciliation agreement without the approval of the commission’s executive director. (d) Where the complainant has refused to accept a proposed conciliation agreement, the commission’s executive director and the respondent may enter into a conciliation agreement to which the complainant is not a party if the agreement does not affect the complainant’s rights and if, in the commission’s executive director’s opinion, the agreement provides for: (1) A just resolution of all violations found; (2) The elimination of the unlawful discriminatory practice; and (3) Appropriate affirmative action. In that event, the commission’s executive director shall close the case without the complainant’s consent, shall issue a notice of right to sue, and report this action to the commission. (e) The commission’s executive director may refuse to approve a conciliation agreement, even though the individual parties have agreed on the proposed terms, if the commission’s executive director believes the remedies outlined in the agreement are inadequate to eliminate the unlawful discriminatory practice complained of or fail to provide appropriate affirmative action. In that event, the case may be closed as having been settled on terms not approved by the commission’s executive director and the commission need not take any action to enforce the agreement if its terms are violated. (f) A proposed conciliation agreement shall be enclosed when a demand letter is sent to the respondent in accordance with section 12-46-17(b). (g) Any agreement which conciliates alleged violations of chapter 515, HRS, shall be subject to the approval of the commission and shall be made public unless the complainant and respondent otherwise agree and the commission determines that disclosure is not required to further purposes of such chapter. [Eff 12/31/90; am 5/1/92; am 11/4/93] (Auth: HRS §368-3) (Imp: HRS §§368-12, 368-13, 515-18)
HAR § 12-46-15 establishes the process by which the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission's executive director attempts to resolve housing discrimination complaints through conciliation after a reasonable-cause finding. A successful conciliation results in a written agreement signed by all parties that must provide full and fair relief to the complainant; agreements involving alleged violations of HRS Chapter 515 (fair housing) are subject to commission approval and are generally made public. If conciliation fails or the complainant refuses a proposed agreement, the executive director has authority to close the case and issue a notice of right to sue under defined conditions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HAR § 12-46-15, a respondent in a Hawaii Civil Rights Commission proceeding who reaches a conciliation agreement is expected to sign a written document committing to eliminate the unlawful discriminatory practice and provide appropriate relief. Operators should be aware that the executive director retains authority to reject a proposed agreement if its remedies are deemed inadequate, and that fair-housing conciliation agreements under HRS Chapter 515 are typically made public. Engaging in the conciliation process in good faith and ensuring proposed terms meaningfully address identified violations are hallmarks of compliant conduct under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HAR § 12-46-15 gives complainants a meaningful role in the conciliation process: any agreement must, in the executive director's judgment, provide full and fair relief before it is finalized. A complainant who refuses a proposed agreement should understand that the executive director may still close the case through a separate agreement with the respondent, but only if that agreement does not affect the complainant's rights—and a notice of right to sue must then be issued. Tenants who believe a proposed resolution is inadequate may consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand their options, including the right-to-sue pathway.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 23, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation
Related Rules
Source Information
Use this in your app
Access this data programmatically via our API