HB 510 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO DECLARATION OF WATER SHORTAGE AND EMERGENCY.

Summary

Amends the conditions, manner, and areas in which the Commission on Water Resource Management can declare and provide notice of water shortages and emergencies. Limits the duration of a water shortage declaration to ninety days. Limits water usage restrictions imposed on a permittee or owner and operator to twenty per cent of the permittee's or owner and operator's last reported monthly use. Requires CWRM to maintain a list of names and postal or email addresses of persons who request notification of a water shortage declaration and send them a copy of a notice of a water shortage declaration whenever water shortage is declared. Effective 7/1/2040. (SD2)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Apr 15, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB510_SD1 → HB510_SD2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Hawaii's water shortage declaration process to apply statewide, including areas outside designated water management zones. It sets a 90-day maximum duration for water shortage declarations, limits usage restrictions to 20% of last reported monthly usage, and requires the Commission on Water Resource Management to notify all permittees and maintain a notification list. The changes aim to improve transparency and ensure consistent planning during drought conditions across all islands.

Scope change

Expanded applicability from only within water management areas to include all areas statewide, including those outside designated water management zones.

REQUIREMENT

Water shortage declarations now apply to all areas statewide, not just designated water management areas.

Maximum duration for water shortage declarations limited to 90 days, with possible extension based on hydrologic conditions.

Water usage restrictions capped at 20% of permittee's last reported monthly water usage.

Commission must maintain a list of persons requesting notification and send copies of shortage declarations via certified mail or email.

TIMELINE

Act effective date set to July 1, 2040.

DEFINITION

Clarified that water usage not reported within 12 months before declaration is treated as zero usage.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 8, 2025

How they voted

23–2

Passed

Total votes 25

Apr 8, 2025

D Democratic22

22 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican3

1 Yea 2 Nay

66% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 10, 2025

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 651) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) San Buenaventura.

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 03-27-25 10:40AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 03-25-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from WTL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1214) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-14-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to WTL, JDC.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 250).

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kong, Muraoka voting no (4) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 362) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Iwamoto, Poepoe, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Morikawa, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 2

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors