Hawaii Bills

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 818: RELATING TO THE WAIAKEA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.

Establishes the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District and the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District Special Fund. Specifies the powers and duties of the Hawaii Community Development Authority as it relates to the new development district. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Kanani Souza (R) Gregg Takayama (D) Sue Lee Loy (D) Kirstin Kahaloa (D) Mark Hashem (D)

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 1648: RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Authorizes health care providers to dispense nonprescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and nonlegend drugs for workers' compensation patients, under certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 2323: RELATING TO THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW.

Repeals outdated mail and triplicate form requirements. Clarifies how a physician transmits a treatment plan to an employer. Clarifies the timeframe for when an employer must submit an objection to a vocational rehabilitation plan and when a vocational rehabilitation plan is deemed received by an employer. Requires electronic submission of various reports to the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 2608: RELATING TO WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

Authorizes building permit variances for certain high-efficiency electric water heating systems utilizing heat pump technology. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2757: RELATING TO DIGITAL ASSET CHARTERS.

Establishes within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Division of Financial Institutions, beginning 1/1/2027, a digital asset charter program for licensing, regulating, and overseeing digital asset companies and digital asset business activities. Authorizes companies that participated in the Hawaii Digital Currency Innovation Lab to temporarily continue digital asset business activities without a charter in certain circumstances. Appropriates moneys from the compliance resolution fund. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Topics ✓ Technology

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2799: RELATING TO THE KALAUPAPA SETTLEMENT.

Requires the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Department of Land and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Department of Health, to submit to the Legislature a report on the plan for the transfer of powers and duties of Kalaupapa Settlement prior to the Regular Session of 2027. (SD1)

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2879: RELATING TO TAXATION.

Requires the Director of Taxation to appoint a legal, tax, or accounting professional as an Administrative Rules Officer. Authorizes the Administrative Rules Officer to appoint individuals with suitable experience as Administrative Rules Specialists.

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2382: RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Establishes the Kupaa Retention Bonus Program to be administered by the Department of Law Enforcement to provide $15,000 retention bonuses to eligible sworn law enforcement officers that have worked a minimum of two thousand hours during the preceding fiscal year, subject to collective bargaining negotiations. Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the Kupaa Retention Bonus Program. Appropriates funds for the Kupaa Retention Bonus Program. Sunsets 6/30/2028. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 2164: RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

HB 2164 defines "compounded prescription drugs" specifically for workers' compensation claims. This bill directly affects injured workers seeking medical coverage and insurers processing those claims. It establishes a clear legal definition to determine which custom-mixed medications qualify for coverage under workers' compensation law. This clarification aims to reduce disputes over medication eligibility in injury claims. The bill does not change existing coverage rules but provides a precise standard for applying them.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 1980: RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

Establishes a goal of the State to retrofit state facilities to be electric vehicle charger-ready. Requires the design of all new state building construction where parking is to be included to provide that at least twenty-five per cent of parking stalls be electric vehicle charger-ready. Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office, in consultation with all state agencies that have parking facilities, to conduct a survey and identify certain high-priority state facilities. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Transportation

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 1612: RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes a business competitiveness goal for the State to be nationally ranked in the top thirty states for business climate by 2050, with interim goals. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit annual progress reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 2499: RELATING TO VACANCIES.

SB 2499 proposes changes to how vacancies for state senators and party candidates are filled. It would amend current procedures for addressing these vacancies, affecting political parties and the state legislature. The bill specifically targets the process used to select replacements when a state senator or party candidate vacancy occurs. As introduced, the bill has passed its first reading but remains in early committee consideration with no enacted changes yet.

Bill results