SB 2019 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS.

Summary

Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to accept the transfer of and manage certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to request information related to easements prior to any transfer of certain qualifying non-agricultural park lands. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to obtain approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity before pasture lands are removed for reforestation or other public purposes. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Last action Feb 20, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB2019 → SB2019_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was updated from a Senate draft to a Senate District 1 version, changing the author from Joseph Brown to Noah Holck and updating internal tracking numbers. The most significant substantive change is the effective date, which was moved from immediate approval to July 1, 2050, likely to allow for long-term planning or a future legislative session. Minor text edits were made to clarify that the transfer of lands must occur 'before' rather than 'prior to' certain actions, and to specify the 'Hawaii State Constitution' instead of just the 'state constitution'.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the transfer of non-agricultural park lands remains the same, but the timeline for implementation has been extended significantly.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from 'upon approval' to 'July 1, 2050', delaying the implementation of the land transfer rules by several years.

TECHNICAL

The text was updated to refer to the 'Hawaii State Constitution' for clarity and consistency with other state documents.

The word 'prior' was replaced with 'before' in several sections to improve readability and ensure consistent terminology regarding the timing of land transfers.

The bill author was changed from Joseph Brown to Noah Holck, and the bill type was updated from 'SB' to 'Bill SD', reflecting its status as a Senate District 1 version.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from WLA/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2619) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WLA were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Chang, Lamosao, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Rhoads ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WLA/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-26 1:00PM; CR 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

Referred to WLA/AEN, JDC.

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

2 primary · 1 co-sponsor