SB 2706 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Summary

Establishes a five-year Agriculture and Biosecurity Workforce Development Pilot Program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii's Leeward Community College and the Department of Human Resources Development. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Last action May 1, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB2706_HD1 → SB2706_SD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a House Draft (HD1) to a Senate Draft (SD1), resulting in the removal of specific appropriation language and a correction of the effective date from the year 3000 to 2050. The Senate version also removed the Department of Human Resources Development from the list of required collaborators, leaving only the Leeward Community College as the partner agency. These changes indicate a shift in the bill's funding status and a minor adjustment to the implementing agencies.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the Department of Human Resources Development as a required collaborator for the pilot program.

FISCAL

All specific language regarding the appropriation of funds for the pilot program was removed from the Senate version.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was corrected from July 1, 3000, to July 1, 2050.

SCOPE

The Department of Human Resources Development was removed from the list of agencies required to collaborate on the workforce development pilot program.

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 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 5:00 PM; Conference Room 411.

upper

May 1, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 12:45 PM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 9:15AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-30-26 9:30AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-29-26 9:30AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-28-26 9:30AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-24-26 11:00AM; Conference Room 325.

upper

Apr 16, 2026

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 16, 2026

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 693).

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Quinlan 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: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Reported from HED (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1497-26), recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on HED recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Garrett, Amato, Kapela, Kila, La Chica, Olds, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Evslin, Woodson, Muraoka.

lower

Mar 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1251-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HED.

lower

Mar 18, 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

Mar 10, 2026

Committee

Referred to AGR, HED, FIN, referral sheet 16

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 76) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Mar 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Ihara). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-25-26 10:57AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

Reported from AEN/EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2643) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Awa.

upper

Feb 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Kidani, Fukunaga.

upper

Feb 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on AEN/EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-18-26 4:15PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to AEN/EDU, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors