Establishes a working group within the Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive study to assess the State's port and harbor system and the potential viability of each location in that system to support current and future agricultural product transportation methods and needs. Requires a report. Appropriates moneys.
Maddy summarySB 760 would allow rodeos to be held on land zoned for agricultural use, which is currently prohibited under existing land use rules. This bill directly affects landowners and event organizers in agricultural zones who want to host rodeos on their property. The key provision removes the restriction preventing rodeos on such land, changing the current zoning requirements. The bill is still in early stages, having been introduced in 2025 and carried over to the next legislative session.
Establishes an exemption from applicable county permit requirements for repetitive construction projects for facilities under the control of the Department of Education, University of Hawaii, or School Facilities Authority. Repeals 1/1/2030.
Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to establish three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions within the Division of Student Success' Counseling and Student Development Center.
Establishes the State-Owned Historic Properties Preservation Plan Working Group within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure the preservation of state-owned historic properties and inherited lands. Requires reports to the Legislature.
Maddy summarySB 1199 would allow school districts and transportation providers to use motorcoaches, small buses, and vans for student transportation, instead of only standard school buses, if specific safety and operational conditions are met. This bill directly affects public schools, school transportation contractors, and state education agencies responsible for approving vehicle use. Key provisions require these alternative vehicles to comply with state safety standards and operational guidelines before being used for student transport. The bill is currently pending in committee review and has not yet become law.
Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office to conduct a statewide environmental assessment for, and subsequently administer, a Geothermal Resources Characterization Program under the direction of the Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center at the University of Hawaii. Appropriates funds.
Maddy summarySR 1 amends Senate Rule 16 to reorganize the Hawaii Senate's standing committees for the 2026 legislative session. It creates three new committees: Higher Education (HRE) for university funding and private higher education (excluding the Hawaii P-20 K-12 initiative), Housing (HOU) for affordable housing and homelessness programs, and Judiciary (JDC) for courts, crime, and civil liberties. The Education committee now excludes higher education funding, retaining oversight of K-12 initiatives like the Hawaii P-20 program. This procedural change adjusts how legislative work is assigned and reviewed within the Senate.
Maddy summarySB 570 prohibits Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources from establishing or enforcing bag limits (restrictions on how many goats hunters can take) in public hunting areas. This directly affects the department's regulatory authority and hunters participating in goat hunting within designated public lands. The bill prevents the department from implementing any new or existing rules limiting goat harvests, maintaining current hunting access without numerical restrictions.
Reestablishes the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii as an organized research unit within the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) that is administered by a director appointed by the University of Hawaii's board of regents with direct lines of reporting to the chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, provost of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and dean of JABSOM. Requires funds expended from the Research and Training Revolving Fund for JABSOM and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii to be used for research and research-related purposes only. Repeals provisions that required the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii to be administratively affiliated with JABSOM.
