Rep. Tokuda Leads Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation to Rename Waiʻanae Post Office after the Late Colleen Hanabusa

Washington D.C. - U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02) led the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation in introducing bipartisan legislation to rename the Waiʻanae Post Office as the "U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa Post Office Building." U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The joint effort, co-sponsored by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Representative Ed Case (HI-01), and a bipartisan coalition honors the life and public service of Hanabusa, a proud daughter of Waiʻanae who passed away on March 6, 2026. The post office is located at 86-014 Farrington Highway.

Hanabusa dedicated her career to Hawaiʻi's working families, rising from a local labor attorney to become the first female President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and later serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Colleen was a trailblazer and mentor who paved the way for so many. She brought toughness and integrity to everything she did-from becoming the first woman State Senate president to elevating Hawaiʻi voices in Congress-while never forgetting her roots as a proud daughter of Waiʻanae," said Rep. Tokuda. "Renaming this post office in the heart of her hometown is a fitting tribute to a leader who inspired a generation and dedicated her life to serving our people with deep aloha."

"Colleen Hanabusa was one of the most accomplished, skilled, and dedicated public servants of the last several generations in the state of Hawai'i," said Sen. Schatz. "This is a fitting memorial to her Wai'anae roots and enduring impact on our state."

Born and raised on the Waiʻanae Coast, Hanabusa grew up working at her family's gas station before earning her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 1977.

After launching a legal career in labor advocacy, she was elected to the Hawaiʻi State Senate in 1998, making history as the state's first female Senate President in 2007 and the first AAPI woman in the nation to serve as a state Senate President. Hanabusa later went on to represent Hawaii's 1st Congressional District in Washington from 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2019.

Original cosponsors of the bill include Representatives Ed Case (HI-01), James Moylan (GU-At-Large), Auma Amata Coleman Radewagen (AS-At-Large), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Glenn Thompson (PA-15), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Frank Lucas (OK-03), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Grace Meng (NY-06).

The full text of the bill is available here. Photos available for media use here.

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