Sign Up
HB 798 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.

Summary
Clarifies the exemptions to the prohibition on discharging any wastewater or raw sewage into state waters after December 31, 2026, including an exemption for treatment plants having a treatment capacity of less than a certain number of gallons per day. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
Issues: ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill creates exemptions for discharging raw sewage into state waters, weakening pollution controls by allowing treatment plants below capacity thresholds to bypass prohibitions.85% confidence
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB798_HD1 → HB798_HD2 · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill version was updated from HD1 to HD2, reflecting a revision in the legislative text. The most significant substantive change involves the prohibition on discharging wastewater or raw sewage into state waters after December 31, 2026. The amendment clarifies that this ban applies to 'treatment plants' specifically, rather than broadly to 'any person, including any public body,' which narrows the scope of entities directly restricted by this specific clause while maintaining the prohibition on discharge.
Scope change
The scope of the prohibition on discharging wastewater was narrowed; the text now explicitly targets 'treatment plants' rather than applying broadly to 'any person, including any public body.'
SCOPE

The entity subject to the discharge prohibition was changed from 'any person, including any public body' to 'treatment plants.'

TECHNICAL

The bill header was updated from 'H.D. 1' to 'H.D. 2' to reflect the second hearing or revision stage.

Internal document metadata, including line numbers and timestamps, were updated to reflect the new version.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Feb 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Belatti, Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).
lower
Feb 13, 2025
Committee
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 596) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Souza; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Shimizu; and Excused: none.
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 103) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
lower
Jan 30, 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 21, 2025
Committee
Referred to EEP, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 2
lower
Jan 21, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Introduced
Pending introduction.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Kyle Yamashita
Kyle Yamashita
DDemocratic
HI
12