Budget & Taxes

passed · Hawaii · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 2596: RELATING TO GOVERNMENT LEASES.

SB 2596 requires state government agencies to charge no more than $1 per year for leases of real property they use. This directly affects state agencies that lease buildings or land for operations, such as offices or facilities. The bill sets a strict annual cost limit on these government leases as a procedural rule, with no additional mechanisms or exemptions described in the provided text.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCapping government lease costs at $1/year reduces state spending, promoting fiscal responsibility within budget management.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 30, 2026

HB 1620: RELATING TO ENERGY.

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to transfer funds from the Hydrogen Fueling System Subaccount of the Public Utilities Commission Special Fund to the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount of the Fund. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases environmental/energy tax to fund EV charging subaccount, explicitly directing tax revenue toward infrastructure funding per Budget & Taxes topic.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill increases tax to fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure, directly advancing clean energy infrastructure investment.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds electric vehicle charging infrastructure via tax increase, promoting clean energy adoption and reducing emissions through dedicated subaccount allocation.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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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 1939: RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit (film tax credit) by providing additional credits to qualified productions that have a workforce of at least eighty per cent local hires in the first taxable year or second consecutive taxable year and meet other specific requirements, then increasing the local workforce threshold to eighty-two per cent in the third or fourth consecutive taxable year and eighty-five per cent in the fifth consecutive taxable year, that the additional credit is claimed; requiring independent third-party certification of qualified production costs for all film productions claiming the film tax credit; authorizing DBEDT to waive the credit cap per qualified production for one qualified production each fiscal year; and requiring the Hawaii Film Office to submit an annual report to the Legislature. Sunsets 1/1/2033. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands tax credits for film productions meeting local hiring criteria, increasing state fiscal support for economic development through targeted tax incentives.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncentivizes local hiring (80%+ workforce) for film productions via tax credits, directly promoting employment standards and local workforce opportunities.80% 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 both · Hawaii · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 1695: RELATING TO RENEWABLE FUEL.

HB 1695 expands an existing tax credit for renewable fuel producers, allowing them to claim additional credits for fuels produced after December 31, 2025. This bill directly affects businesses manufacturing renewable fuels like ethanol or biodiesel by increasing their potential tax savings. The key provision extends the credit to taxable years beginning after 2025, with an effective date listed as July 1, 3000 (likely a typo for 2030). The bill is currently pending before the TRN committee, having been deferred for further review in February 2026, and has not yet become law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands tax credit for renewable fuel producers, directly providing tax relief to businesses, thus supporting tax policy in budget & taxes.90% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyExpands tax credits for renewable fuel producers, directly incentivizing increased production of renewable energy sources like ethanol and biodiesel.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands tax credits for renewable fuel producers (ethanol, biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel), directly incentivizing clean energy production and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationExtends tax credits for renewable fuels (including sustainable aviation fuel), directly promoting sustainable transportation through producer incentives.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 1950: RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.

Establishes the State-led Marketing and Branding Special Fund and requires that a portion of all transient accommodations tax revenues that would otherwise be deposited into the general fund be deposited into the special fund, to be used for state-led marketing, branding, and tourism management. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop and submit an annual comprehensive marketing, branding, and tourism management plan to the Legislature for approval. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects transient accommodations tax revenue to dedicated tourism marketing fund, advancing fiscal allocation for tourism management per bill's explicit funding mechanism.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed both · Hawaii · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 2411: RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM.

Establishes and appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaii Employer-Led Sector Partnerships Special Fund. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to coordinate its sector partnership activities with the Workforce Development Council. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes and appropriates funds into a special fund for sector partnerships, directly allocating state budget resources to economic development programs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes funding for employer-led sector partnerships coordinating with Workforce Development Council, advancing workforce development initiatives per bill summary.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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