Hawaii Bills

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 1781: RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the Department of Education to establish a Numeracy Coaching Program to provide numeracy coaches in certain Department of Education elementary schools, middle schools, and intermediate schools to support teachers, improve instruction, and ensure that students develop a strong foundation in mathematics. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sean Quinlan (D) Adrian Tam (D) Mike Lee (D) Lisa Kitagawa (D) Kanani Souza (R)

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 1765: RELATING TO SPEARFISHING SAFETY.

HB 1765 requires safety warnings related to spearfishing activities, directly affecting spearfishers who use the equipment. The bill establishes specific safety-warning requirements that must be posted or communicated to users. These provisions will take effect on July 1, 2027, after the bill is enacted. The abstract does not specify the exact content of the warnings, only that they are mandated for safety purposes.

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 1537: RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to contract with community-based organizations to provide preventive and early intervention mental health services to adolescents within the community. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 1831: RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

Authorizes and provides funding for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in coordination with relevant state agencies, to identify and, if legally permissible, resolve survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Environment

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 1595: RELATING TO THE STATE LIBRARIAN.

HB 1595 repeals the existing salary cap for the state librarian, allowing the position to receive compensation above the previous limit. This change directly affects the state librarian, who will now have their salary determined without the former restriction. The bill's key mechanism is simply removing the statutory cap on the librarian's pay rate. No other provisions or impacts are described in the provided context.

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 2313: RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCING FOR CANDIDATES TO ELECTED OFFICE.

Establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State, to begin with the 2028 general election year. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to submit reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 2362: RELATING TO TAXATION.

SB 2362 would eliminate a specific tax deduction for real estate investment trusts (REITs), requiring them to pay taxes on dividends they distribute to shareholders instead of deducting those payments. This change directly affects REITs, which are companies that own and operate real estate properties and typically rely on this deduction to reduce taxable income. The key provision removes the "dividends paid deduction" from the tax code, meaning REITs would no longer be able to subtract their dividend payments from their taxable earnings. This policy change would increase the tax burden on REITs without altering their operational structure.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 2423: RELATING TO ZONING.

Prohibits the counties from imposing certain lot requirements on lots zoned for housing on parcels of land located within the urban district for purposes of subdivision, development, or the issuance of a building permit, with certain exemptions. Allows the counties to establish a petition process for neighborhoods, subdivisions, or other geographically contiguous areas to establish or retain certain requirements or specifications. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Housing

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 2037: RELATING TO TAXATION.

Increases the aggregate cap on credits allowed in any given year for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit from $50,000,000 to $60,000,000. Extends the sunset of the tax credit to 1/1/2038. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Repeals 1/1/2038. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Technology

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 3201: RELATING TO CORAL REEF RESILIENCE.

Requires the Division of Aquatic Resources of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to: (1) manage and administer aquatic life and resources, with the highest priority being to protect, restore, and maintain ecosystem integrity, using the best scientific data available; (2) make plans by certain dates for the restoration of reef ecosystems and indigenous species to a level that is not less than an unspecified per cent of their natural biomass potential; and (3) make a plan by 7/1/2027 for the expansion of live coral cover at not less than twenty-five per cent on reefs that have historically supported naturally occurring live coral cover. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Environment

passed · Hawaii · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 2019: RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

HB 2019 appropriates funds to the Executive Office on Early Learning to administer financial support for family-child interaction learning programs. The bill directly affects the Executive Office on Early Learning, which will manage the funding, and the early learning programs serving families with young children. This is a funding bill with no policy changes, solely providing resources for existing family-child interaction initiatives.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 3232: RELATING TO UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS.

SB 3232 creates a special fund within the Department of Education to manage Medicaid reimbursements received for school meals. This bill does not change who receives meals or the meal program itself, but instead establishes a dedicated account for handling existing Medicaid reimbursement funds. The key mechanism is redirecting these reimbursements into the new special fund, streamlining how the state tracks and uses this specific revenue source. The bill focuses solely on administrative fund management, not on expanding or altering school meal eligibility or services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results