Hawaii becomes first US state to pass a bill supporting Universal Basic Income
It's hoped that Universal Basic Income will act as a support net for individuals who loose their jobs to automation, and Hawaii's state legislature now officially support the idea.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Hawaii becomes first US state to pass a bill supporting Universal Basic Income', 311 Institute, 18 July. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/hawaii-becomes-first-us-state-to-pass-a-bill-supporting-universal-basic-income/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
As automation continues to bite into the global workforce, whether it’s taking jobs on Wall Street or in Japan, over the past couple of years many governments, from the US to the European Union (EU), have asked the question what happens when the majority of your citizens jobs have been automated away either by Artificial Intelligence (AI), bots, drones and, or robots and the answer they keep coming up with is to provide a “living wage,” or Universal Basic Income (UBI).
At the start of this year the EU published a report saying that it “strongly urged all E27 members to investigate and experiment with UBI” and last year a report on the impact of AI and automation by President Obama’s administration stated that “the introduction of a national UBI scheme should not be ruled out.”
In the past months we’ve seen a flurry of countries, from Canada and Finland to Scotland, as well as charities such as the Grantcoin Foundation that are using it already to lift 22,000 children out of poverty, trial small scale UBI schemes but now Hawaii has gone one step further and passed a bill called the House Concurrent Resolution 89 (HCR89) Bill.
I think you’ll agree it’s catchy…
The bill, which was first proposed by Chris Lee, a Hawaii Representative, has two major provisions. First, it declares that all families in Hawaii are entitled to basic financial security, and the second establishes a number of government offices “to analyse our state’s economy and find ways to ensure all families have basic financial security, including an evaluation of different forms of a full or partial universal basic income.”
“As far as I’m told, it’s the first time any state has made such a pronouncement,” says Lee. So Hawaii, it seems, is the first US state to pass any sort of UBI positive legislation but legislation is one thing and deploying it is a different challenge entirely.
“Planning for the future isn’t politically sexy and won’t win anyone an election […]. But if we do it properly, we will all be much better off for it in the long run,” says Lee, and if the worst case scenario does happen and, as Oxford University’s future of jobs report plays out where 45 percent of people are unemployed then at least the people of Hawaii will be prepared.
If things play out as some people predict then maybe we should all move to Hawaii. Then again, with sand, sea, sun and surf do we really need a reason!? I’m packing my bags already.
What this means for your organisation
Policy is moving ahead of practice.
Hawaii has passed HCR89, which declares that all families are entitled to basic financial security. Its sponsor, Chris Lee, says no other state has made such a pronouncement. Passing a bill is one thing. Deploying it is a different challenge.
Automation is the stated driver.
Governments from the US to the EU keep asking what happens when jobs are automated away. A European report urged all E27 members to investigate and experiment with UBI. Job Automation is rated Act now, with wide use expected by 2027.
Plan for the worst case now.
The Oxford future of jobs report points to 45 percent of people unemployed in the worst case. Cognitive Automation is already cutting hiring for entry level roles exposed to it. Organisations should map which roles are exposed, and watch how Hawaii's new offices judge the options.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our roles are most exposed to automation in the next few years?
- What support would we offer staff whose jobs are automated away?
- Who in our organisation tracks basic income pilots and new legislation?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
It's hoped that Universal Basic Income will act as a support net for individuals who loose their jobs to automation, and Hawaii's state legislature now officially support the idea.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on robotics and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Foundation grantcoin.org
- House Concurrent Resolution 89 capitol.hawaii.gov
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 July 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Hawaii becomes first US state to pass a bill supporting Universal Basic Income. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/hawaii-becomes-first-us-state-to-pass-a-bill-supporting-universal-basic-income/
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