STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1304-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2155

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2155, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER SYSTEMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Health to amend its administrative rules to set a maximum of five dwellings or dwelling units and a maximum of six bedrooms that may be connected to a single individual wastewater system.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the State faces significant environmental and public health threats from widespread reliance on individual wastewater systems, including cesspools, which collectively discharge an estimated fifty to fifty‑five million gallons of untreated wastewater into the ground each day. Overuse of these systems contributes to groundwater contamination, waste leakage, and degradation of nearshore marine ecosystems, while also constraining rural and agricultural workforce housing where wastewater limitations impede development. This measure seeks to mitigate environmental risks and support more sustainable housing and land use planning.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending existing law codified in the Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than requiring the Department of Health to amend its administrative rules by session law, to increase the number of bedrooms an individual wastewater system may serve to up to six;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2155, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2155, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair