HB 1736 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO ANIMAL CONTROL.

Summary

Establishes the Spay and Neuter Special Fund to reduce pet overpopulation, including the free-roaming cat population, and authorizes an income tax designation to provide revenues into the special fund. Requires cats over five months of age to be surgically sterilized unless covered by an intact cat declaration, and conditions the importation of intact cats on state and county declaration requirements, with certain exceptions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1736_HD1 → HB1736_HD2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Hawaii's cat sterilization law to create an exemption for cats covered by a valid 'intact cat declaration,' allowing owners to keep unsterilized cats without releasing them into the environment. It also updates the importation rules to require declarations for intact cats brought into the state and modifies the summary of the bill to reflect these new provisions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a legal pathway for keeping intact cats in fully enclosed sanctuaries or private homes, provided a specific declaration is filed with county authorities.

ELIGIBILITY

Added an exemption allowing cats over five months old to remain unsterilized if the owner files a valid 'intact cat declaration' with the county animal control authority.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the definition of 're-release into the environment' to explicitly state that placing a cat in a fully enclosed sanctuary does not count as a violation.

Added a requirement that any intact cat brought into the state must be declared with the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity within 14 days of arrival.

FISCAL

Authorized county animal control authorities to charge a $100 fee for processing intact cat declarations for cats already in the state.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'county animal control authority' to clarify it includes both the county agency and any contracted animal control society.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's summary text and section headers to reflect the shift from Version 1 to Version 2 of the legislation.

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

Mar 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN/EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-26 3:10PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to AEN/EIG, WAM.

upper

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 152).

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Alcos, Muraoka, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Sayama excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Hartsfield, Alcos; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).

lower

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 747-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Takayama.

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Committee

Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 41-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Feb 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to AGR, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

Prefiled.

lower

19 primary · 1 co-sponsor