Unlike the state House, leadership at the state Senate will remain relatively familiar for the upcoming legislative session, with some tweaks to Senate committees and chairs.

Three of the Senate’s 17 committees have been refocused:

>> The former Energy, Economic Development and Tourism Committee now becomes the Economic Development and Tourism Committee with Sen. Lynn DeCoite as its chair.

>> Responsibility for energy now falls under a new Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Glenn Wakai.

Wakai previously chaired the Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee.

>> It now becomes the Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Brandon Elefante.

The new chair of the Hawaiian Affairs Committee will be Sen. Tim Richards III, after former Chair Maile Shimabukuro left the Senate at the end of the last legislative session.

Otherwise, leadership of the Senate continues under Senate President Ron Kouchi.

Continuing in their Senate leadership roles are Michelle Kidani (vice president), Dru Mamo Kanuha (majority leader), Wakai (majority floor leader), DeCoite (assistant majority floor leader), Les Ihara (majority policy leader) and Lorraine Inouye (majority whip).

Sens. Henry J.C. Aquino, Troy Hashimoto, Jarrett Keohokalole, Chris Lee and Richards all will serve as assistant majority whips.

In the three-member, minority Republican Senate caucus, the election of Sen. Samantha DeCorte enabled a tie-breaking vote that settled a leadership standoff over the past two legislative sessions between Sens. Kurt Fevella and Brenton Awa.

Awa now becomes minority leader, DeCorte is the new minority floor leader and Fevella will serve as assistant minority floor leader.

The changes in the Senate were far less dramatic compared with the House because of several factors.

Only 13 of the 25 Senate seats were up for election this year.

But all 51 House seats were up, resulting in new faces and a leadership change when Speaker Scott Saiki lost his primary election.

New House Speaker Nadine Nakamura then reshuffled House leadership.

Other factors in the House included resignations, retirements, other election losses, the death of Rep. Mark Nakashima and several other chairs moving up into House leadership, which prevents them from chairing committees, although some will serve as vice chairs.

Nakamura also renamed several of the 18 House committees, and 12 of them will have new chairs.

Six newly elected House freshmen also will serve as vice chairs.