federal agency assistance

As your Senator, one of my highest priorities is to aid Hawaii constituents who have an outstanding claim with a federal agency or need assistance from the federal government. My staff in Hawaii will make every effort to provide you with appropriate resources or to obtain timely and accurate information on the status of your claim at a federal agency. (If you are a resident of another state, please click here to find your Senators).

I have designed this page to help you understand the types of issues where I can likely help and clarify actions that are not permissible by a Member of Congress.

Please note: In most cases, Federal law requires us to have a signed Privacy Release Form before we can discuss your case with the agency. Please click on an option below to download a privacy release form.

Immigration Assistance: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept one signature per form, either by the applicant/petitioner or by the beneficiary, and will not accept electronic or digital signatures.

After completing the PDF form, please return a signed copy by mail, email, or fax to:

Office of U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono
Mail: 300 Ala Moana Blvd, Room 3-106, Honolulu, HI 96850
Email: HawaiiOffice@hirono.senate.gov
Telephone: (808) 522-8970
Toll Free (Neighbor Islands): 844-478-3478
Fax: (808) 545-4683

Issues Involving an Agency of the Federal Government

Some of the most common requests that I receive are regarding the status of Social Security claims, active duty military issues, veteran benefits, and immigration petitions. If you are a Hawaii resident who needs assistance with a federal agency, my staff may be able to help. While I cannot request that a federal agency provide you with anything that is not authorized by federal law, I can ensure that you are afforded due process and any errors that may exist in the handling of your request will be corrected.

To that end, I can request information about the status of an application or claim pending with a federal agency or department, address concerns regarding the handling of such an application or claim, or provide additional information needed to resolve your claim.

The Privacy Act requires written authorization from a constituent before a federal agency can discuss the status of their case with my office. Please return a signed copy of our Release and Authorization Form to my Hawaii office, along with a brief summary of your situation, outlining the difficulty you are experiencing or the information you have requested. Once your correspondence has been reviewed, my staff will take the appropriate action on your behalf and will contact you if more information is needed. While I cannot guarantee a favorable resolution of your case, I assure you that we will do everything we can to assist you in a timely and effective manner.

Military and Veterans

If you are a Military Service Member or Veteran click here for additional services and information.

Federal Agencies are created by federal law, and overseen by the President and his appointees.  Examples of federal agencies include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service and the U.S Passport Agency.

Court Cases and Civil Disputes

The Rules of the U.S. Senate limit Members of Congress from intervening, providing legal advice, or acting as an individual constituent's advocate in legal matters. Any issue that involves the legal interpretation of a law or its application to a particular situation must be decided by a court or other adjudicator and is outside the scope of the type of assistance that Senator Hirono can offer. As such, I regret that we are unable to assist with your request.

Examples of court cases and civil disputes are: any matter being heard before a federal or state court, criminal trials, property damage disputes, bankruptcy or child custody, etc.  

State or Local Government Issues

Any agency or department created by the State of Hawaii is also outside my range of authority as a Senator in the federal government.  If you are experiencing difficulty regarding a state agency, you may request assistance from your State Senator or your State Representative, who represent you in the Hawaii State Legislature in Honolulu. Similarly, any issues that you may face relating to an agency created under the authority of a city or county should be directed to your local representatives on the City Council or County Board of Supervisors.

If you have questions about the scope of assistance that my office can provide, please contact my State office.

Office of U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono
Mail: 300 Ala Moana Blvd Rm. 3-106 Honolulu HI 96850
Telephone: 808-522-8970 (Oahu)
Toll-Free (Neighbor Islands): 1-844-478-3478 (Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui Counties)
Fax: 808-545-4683
Email: HawaiiOffice@hirono.senate.gov