HB 1495 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE KEAUHOU AQUIFER SYSTEM.

Summary

Establishes and appropriates funds for the Keauhou Aquifer System Monitoring Pilot Project within the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Appropriates funds for the installation of two monitoring wells in the Keauhou Aquifer System. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action Feb 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB1495 → HB1495_HD1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a traditional legislative text format to a digital document template, with substantive policy changes including expanded monitoring responsibilities for the Commission on Water Resource Management, new requirements for public outreach and community engagement, and a placeholder effective date of July 1, 3000 instead of July 1, 2025. The funding amount was removed from the appropriation section, and a new section was added to allow the department to determine whether to continue, expand, or end the pilot project based on its assessment.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from basic monitoring to include public information meetings, community outreach, and integration of studies into a management plan, while the effective date was changed to a placeholder year of 3000.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 3000, with a repeal date set for June 30 of an unspecified year.

FISCAL

The specific appropriation amount of $163,000 was removed and replaced with blank spaces for future determination.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added for the Commission on Water Resource Management to conduct public information meetings, community outreach, and integrate studies into a management plan.

A new provision requires the department to determine whether to continue, expand, or end the pilot project based on its assessment.

Water quality testing requirements were changed from general tests to specifically 'water salinity tests'.

New requirement to monitor impacts of groundwater pumping on coastal ecosystems and traditional practices was added.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from traditional legislative text to a digital document template with metadata headers.

Floor votes · House Feb 6, 2025

How they voted

50–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Feb 6, 2025

D Democratic41

41 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

9 Yea 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 591), recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Committee

Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 229) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (50-0-1)

house

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

lower

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to EEP, WAL, FIN, referral sheet 4

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

5 primary · 0 co-sponsors