HB2073

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there is a need to extend the county surcharge on state general excise taxes, which was enacted by Act 247, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.

SECTION 2. Section 46-16.8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By amending subsections (b) and (c) to read:

"(b) Each county that has established a surcharge on state tax before July 1, 2015, under authority of subsection (a) may extend the surcharge until December 31, [~~2030,~~] 2045, at the same rates. A county electing to extend this surcharge shall do so by ordinance; provided that:

(1) No ordinance shall be adopted until the county has conducted a public hearing on the proposed ordinance; and

(2) The ordinance shall be adopted before January 1, [~~2018.~~] 2028.

A county electing to exercise the authority granted under this subsection shall notify the director of taxation within ten days after the county has adopted an ordinance extending the surcharge on state tax. The director of taxation shall levy, assess, collect, and otherwise administer the extended surcharge on state tax.

(c) Each county that has not established a surcharge pursuant to subsection (a) on state tax before July 1, 2015, may establish the surcharge at the rates enumerated in sections 237‑8.6 and 238-2.6. A county electing to establish this surcharge shall do so by ordinance; provided that:

(1) No ordinance shall be adopted until the county has conducted a public hearing on the proposed ordinance;

(2) The ordinance shall be adopted before December 31, 2023; and

(3) No county surcharge on state tax that may be authorized under this subsection shall be levied before January 1, 2019, or after December 31, [~~2030.~~] 2045.

A county electing to exercise the authority granted under this subsection shall notify the director of taxation within ten days after the county has adopted a surcharge on state tax ordinance. Beginning on January 1, 2019, January 1, 2020, January 1, 2024, or January 1, 2025, as applicable pursuant to sections 237-8.6 and 238-2.6, the director of taxation shall levy, assess, collect, and otherwise administer the county surcharge on state tax."

2. By amending subsection (g) to read:

"(g) Each county having a population equal to or less than five hundred thousand that adopts a county surcharge on state tax ordinance pursuant to this section shall use the surcharges received from the State for:

(1) Operating or capital costs of public transportation within each county for public transportation systems, including:

(A) Public roadways or highways;

(B) Public buses;

(D) Ferries;

(E) Pedestrian paths or sidewalks; or

(F) Bicycle paths;

(2) Expenses in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to paragraph (1); and

(3) Housing infrastructure costs; provided that a county that uses surcharge revenues for housing infrastructure shall not pass on those housing infrastructure costs to the developer of a housing project[; provided further that this paragraph shall apply only if a county amended its surcharge ordinance pursuant to subsection (d) or adopts a county surcharge on state tax ordinance after December 31, 2022;

provided that each county having a population equal to or less than five hundred thousand that adopts a county surcharge on state tax ordinance pursuant to this section after December 31, 2022, shall use the surcharge revenues received from the State only for the purposes described in paragraph (3) for county-appropriated housing infrastructure costs]."

SECTION 3. Section 237-8.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) Each county surcharge on state tax that may be adopted, extended, or amended pursuant to section 46-16.8 shall be levied beginning in a taxable year after the adoption of the relevant county ordinance; provided that no surcharge on state tax may be levied:

(1) Before:

(A) January 1, 2007, if the county surcharge on state tax was established by an ordinance adopted before December 31, 2005;

(B) January 1, 2019, if the county surcharge on state tax was established by the adoption of an ordinance after June 30, 2015, but before June 30, 2018;

(C) January 1, 2020, if the county surcharge on state tax was established by the adoption of an ordinance on or after June 30, 2018, but before March 31, 2019;

(D) January 1, 2024, if the county surcharge on state tax was established by the adoption of an ordinance on or after March 31, 2019, but before August 1, 2023; or

(E) January 1, 2025, if the county surcharge on state tax was established by the adoption of an ordinance on or after August 1, 2023, but before December 31, 2023; and

(2) After December 31, [~~2030.~~] 2045."

SECTION 4. Act 247, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, as amended by Act 240, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, as amended by Act 1, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, is amended by amending section 9 to read as follows:

"SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that:

(1) If none of the counties of the State adopt an ordinance to levy a county surcharge on state tax by December 31, 2005, this Act shall be repealed and section 437D-8.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day prior to the effective date of this Act;

(2) If any county does not adopt an ordinance to levy a county surcharge on state tax by December 31, 2005, it shall be prohibited from adopting such an ordinance pursuant to this Act, unless otherwise authorized by the legislature through a separate legislative act; and

(3) If an ordinance to levy a county surcharge on state tax is adopted by December 31, 2005:

(A) The ordinance shall be repealed on December 31, 2022; provided that the repeal of the ordinance shall not affect the validity or effect of an ordinance to extend a surcharge on state tax adopted pursuant to an act of the legislature; and

(B) This Act shall be repealed on December 31, [~~2030;~~] 2045, and section 437D-8.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day prior to the effective date of this Act; provided that the amendments made to section 437D-8.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by Act 226, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, as amended by Act 11, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, and Act 110, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, shall not be repealed."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2073
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII