CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 164-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1618

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1618, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CESSPOOL CONVERSIONS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund and direct the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority to establish a Cesspool Conversion Financing Program to provide low-interest or forgivable loans for eligible households to upgrade or convert existing cesspools in all counties to Director of Health-approved wastewater systems or connect properties with existing cesspools to sewerage systems;

(2) Allow the Department of Health, through a memorandum of agreement, to annually transfer funding available from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to capitalize the Cesspool Conversion Financing Program; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the establishment and hiring of a program management position and for the purposes of the Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the sources of funding for the Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund;

(2) Deleting the appropriation of general revenues into the Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund;

(3) Changing the means of financing for the establishment and hiring of a program management position and for the purposes of the Cesspool Conversion Revolving Loan Fund to the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Special Fund and inserting an appropriation amount of $203,750;

(4) Changing the effective date to upon approval, with the appropriation effective on July 1, 2026; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1618, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1618, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD Chair	____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN Co-Chair
____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY Co-Chair	____________________________ AMY A. PERRUSO Co-Chair
____________________________ LYNN DECOITE Co-Chair