Budget & Taxes

passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1590: RELATING TO VACATION RENTALS.

Part I: Allows counties to use time-stamped screenshots as evidence for the enforcement of transient accommodations. Requires the Hawaii Tourism Authority's plans, practices, and efforts involving destination management to include promotion of use of traditional or lawful transient accommodations. Clarifies that the counties may use revenue from the County Transient Accommodations Tax for the enforcement of transient accommodations. Appropriates funds. Part II: Requires hosting platforms that earn service fees for providing booking services for transient accommodations to register with the Department of Taxation as tax collection agents and report, collect, and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes on behalf of operators. Part II effective 1/1/2027. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates tax data reporting and fines for vacation rentals, enforcing collection of transient accommodations tax to bolster county revenue streams.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 1535: RELATING TO AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS.

Establishes an income tax credit for automated external defibrillator devices that are installed and placed in service in certain places of public accommodation located in the State, subject to registration requirements. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a statewide automated external defibrillator registry to collect and maintain certain information. Requires the owner or operator of an automated external defibrillator located in a place of public accommodation to conduct certain maintenance. Requires reporting of certain automated external defibrillator data to the Department of Health. Requires the Department of Health to coordinate with certain entities. Requires the Department of Health to request funds from the 911 Fund for the establishment and maintenance of the automated external defibrillator registry. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes income tax credit for AED purchases, providing direct tax relief to eligible businesses under fiscal policy.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit for AEDs in public places, improving emergency cardiac care access and supporting public health initiatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 2528: RELATING TO PARTIAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.

Increases the expenditure limit and the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all elective offices. Adjusts the minimum amount of qualifying contributions certain candidates must receive to participate in the program. Increases the matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions. Appropriates funds for the program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates state funds for public election financing program, directly increasing budget allocation for campaign finance initiatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 3333: RELATING TO TAXATION.

Requires each county to apply any applicable real property tax exemptions, reduced assessments, or tax classifications for any affordable housing subject to income, resale, or occupancy restrictions as of the date a qualifying owner takes title to the affordable housing for the upcoming tax period, consistent with county procedures. Effective 4/19/2042. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates tax exemptions for affordable housing, providing real property tax relief to lower-income housing owners per bill's tax relief focus.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires counties to maintain tax exemptions for affordable housing with restrictions, directly supporting affordability through tax relief for qualifying units.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 2442: RELATING TO PURCHASE OF SERVICE CONTRACTS BY THE JUDICIARY.

Beginning 1/1/2027, requires contracts for services awarded to community-based organizations by the Judiciary in support of fulfilling the Judiciary's statutory mandate to individuals, families, and communities in the State to include certain protections against inflation. Appropriates funds to the Judiciary to increase the contract price in existing contracts for certain services provided by community-based organizations in support of fulfilling the Judiciary's statutory mandate to individuals, families, and communities in the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates funds to increase contract prices for community-based services, funding essential programs under Judiciary's mandate.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 1414: RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Authorizes the head of a procurement agency to award a contract to a bidder who is not the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, for procurements conducted by competitive sealed bidding, if the head of the procuring agency determines that the award is most beneficial to taxpayers or otherwise in the best interests of the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill promotes fiscal responsibility by allowing contract awards most beneficial to taxpayers, aligning with efficient government spending under Budget & Taxes.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 2211: MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

Provides an emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services to replace general fund appropriations redirected to provide emergency food assistance during the 2025 federal government shutdown. Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to help Hawaii residents obtain insurance available through the federal marketplace. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds emergency SNAP assistance and food delivery services through DHS, directly supporting essential public programs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 2603: RELATING TO THE HAWAII SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

SB 2603 designates the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the official State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. The bill requires the orchestra to submit annual reports to the Hawaii Legislature and appropriates state funds for its operations. This legislation formalizes the orchestra's relationship with the state government through official designation and funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates state funds for Hawaii Symphony Orchestra operations, directly advancing state budget allocation for cultural programming under State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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signed · Hawaii · House Mar 23, 2026

HB 2240: MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE AUDITOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU, THE OMBUDSMAN, AND THE ETHICS COMMISSION.

HB 2240 provides funding to cover operating expenses for five specific state offices: the Legislature, the Auditor, the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Ombudsman, and the Ethics Commission. This procedural bill allocates budget resources to support these entities' day-to-day functions without changing laws or creating new policies. It directly affects these government offices by ensuring they have financial resources to operate. The bill is currently in the early committee referral stage (referred to Finance on January 30, 2026).

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates budget resources to fund legislative and oversight agencies' operations, directly supporting fiscal management of essential government functions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · Hawaii · Senate Mar 20, 2026

SB 328: RELATING TO TAXATION.

SB 328 creates an income tax credit for dairy farmers who convert their operations to hog farming, covering capital infrastructure costs like building new barns or equipment. It directly affects dairy farm owners planning to switch to hog production. The credit allows eligible farmers to reduce their state income tax liability based on qualifying conversion expenses. The bill takes effect on July 1, 3000, as stated in the official abstract.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates targeted income tax credit for dairy-to-hog conversion, providing tax relief under taxation policy per explicit bill title and summary.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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