SB 2671 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO ESSENTIAL PERMITTING POSITIONS.

Summary

Authorizes the mayor of each county to implement a pilot program to improve the speed, accountability, and quality of permit processing within that county through targeted staffing, performance incentives, and interdepartmental competition. Authorizes increased pay for certain permitting positions and requires county personnel departments to prioritize the hiring of permitting positions as part of the pilot program. Requires participating county mayors and county agencies to establish goals for the pilot program. Requires participating county agencies to submit quarterly reports to the respective county councils on the pilot program. Sunsets the pilot project on 6/30/2030. (CD1)

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed Jun 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB2671_HD2 → SB2671_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill was revised to broaden the pilot program's eligibility from only counties with populations under 500,000 to any county that chooses to participate. The changes also extend the program's duration from four to five years and shift the effective date significantly into the future to 2042, while adjusting the sunset date to 2031.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a limited pilot for smaller counties to a voluntary program available to all counties.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the population cap of 500,000, allowing mayors of any county to implement the pilot program if they choose to participate.

TIMELINE

Extended the program duration from four fiscal years to five fiscal years and changed the effective date from July 1, 3000, to April 19, 2042.

Adjusted the program sunset date from June 30, 2030, to June 30, 2031.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement for milestone goals from being established by individual agencies to being established by the county agency as a whole.

DEFINITION

Clarified that 'essential permitting positions' may include both vacant positions and existing positions currently filled by employees.

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

Amendments

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran voting no (1) and none excused (0).

lower

May 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.

upper

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 191-26) as amended in (CD 1).

lower

May 1, 2026

Introduced

48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26.

upper

May 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 191-26).

upper

May 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Sayama, Hussey, Tam, Gedeon; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

May 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Hashimoto; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Apr 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 10:45AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-30-26 10:45AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-28-26 10:45AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 10, 2026

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 518).

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Morikawa.

lower

Mar 30, 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) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from LAB (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1469-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Kong, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1283-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Tam, Templo, Yamashita, Gedeon; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to ECD, LAB, FIN, referral sheet 17

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 280) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM has rescheduled its decision making to 03-05-26 12:04PM; CR 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-05-26 10:15AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 11, 2026

Committee

Reported from EIG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2176) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 02-05-26 3:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to EIG, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

4 primary · 1 co-sponsor