KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Chair |
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Senator Carol Fukunaga, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 |
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TIME: |
9:30 AM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 229 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO ANIMALS. Defines a "dog breeder" as any person who owns, possesses, controls, or otherwise has charge or custody of more than ten dogs over the age of twelve months with intact sexual organs, and who sells, barters, or otherwise transfers more than three litters and more than twenty-five dogs per calendar year. Requires dog breeders to meet minimum standards of care and not place certain types of dogs in the same enclosure to ensure the proper treatment and care of dogs and the dogs' offspring. Prohibits any person from owning or having custody of more than thirty dogs over one year with intact sexual organs. Requires dog breeders to maintain specific written records for each dog for a specified period. Authorizes each county to assess, implement, and enforce its own licensing system for dog breeders. Requires persons convicted of animal cruelty to register with the attorney general. Requires animal shelters, animal breeders, and pet stores to check whether an individual has been convicted of animal abuse when the individual applies to work or volunteer, or purchases or adopts an animal. Prevents persons convicted of animal cruelty from possessing, owning, or working in close proximity to animals. Establishes the offense of animal hoarding. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations. Increases criminal penalties for cruelty to animals in the first and second degree. Allows for increased penalties for persons convicted of cruelty to animals in the first and second degree in certain situations.
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CPN, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION. Allows the court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating to discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income.
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CPN, JDC |
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RELATING TO TAXATION. Establishes a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for a certain percentage of expenses paid to retrofit a residence with wind resistive devices or to purchase, install, or construct, a hurricane shelter on the taxpayer's property. Reduces the general excise tax rate on the gross proceeds or income from the sale of a concrete certified hurricane-resistant residential project or certain hurricane-resistant components of a high-rise condominium. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Sunsets 12/31/2030.
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CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS. Establishes a General Cooperative Associations Act to provide a unified, flexible legal framework for cooperatives to form for any lawful purpose. Allows agricultural cooperative associations and consumer cooperative associations to elect governance under the General Cooperative Associations Act.
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CPN, JDC |
Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 2 minutes each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email CPNcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 808-587-7215.
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_____________________________________ Senator Jarrett Keohokalole Chair |
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