HB 1495 Hawaii House · 2026 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 passed 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 Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB1495 → HB1495_HD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift the Keauhou aquifer initiative from a 'program' to a 'pilot project,' expanding the Department of Land and Natural Resources' duties to include community outreach, public reporting, and monitoring impacts on coastal ecosystems. Funding for the project was temporarily removed from the text to be filled in later, while funding for the specific installation of two monitoring wells was retained. The effective date was changed to a distant future date (July 1, 3000) with a repeal clause, likely indicating a placeholder for a final decision.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general monitoring program to a specific pilot project with added requirements for community engagement and ecosystem impact assessment. The applicability of the funding section was modified, separating the appropriation for the pilot project from the specific appropriation for installing monitoring wells.

REQUIREMENT

The initiative was renamed from a 'monitoring pilot program' to a 'monitoring pilot project' to reflect a more temporary and experimental nature.

New duties were added for the Commission on Water Resource Management, including monitoring impacts on coastal ecosystems, conducting public information meetings, and performing community outreach.

Reporting requirements were updated to focus on 'water salinity analysis' instead of general 'water quality analysis' and to be submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

FISCAL

The specific dollar amount for the pilot project was removed and replaced with blank lines to be filled in later, while the appropriation for installing two monitoring wells was preserved.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 3000, and a repeal date was added, suggesting the bill is currently in a draft or holding status.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

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 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