THE SENATE

KA AHA KENEKOA

 

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

Senator Lynn DeCoite, Chair

Senator Glenn Wakai, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Thursday, March 19, 2026

TIME:

1:00 PM

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

 

HB 1939, HD2

      (HSCR1113-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit (film tax credit) by providing additional credits to qualified productions that have a workforce of at least eighty per cent local hires in the first taxable year or second consecutive taxable year and meet other specific requirements, then increasing the local workforce threshold to eighty-two per cent in the third or fourth consecutive taxable year and eighty-five per cent in the fifth consecutive taxable year, that the additional credit is claimed; requiring independent third-party certification of qualified production costs for all film productions claiming the film tax credit; authorizing DBEDT to waive the credit cap per qualified production for one qualified production each fiscal year; and requiring the Hawaii Film Office to submit an annual report to the Legislature.  Sunsets 1/1/2033.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD2)

 

EDT, WAM

HB 1941, HD1

      (HSCR967-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the requirements for productions to qualify for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax to include completing at least fifteen per cent of the production's principal photography within the same taxable year the production is qualifying for the film tax credit and completing or committing to complete fifteen per cent of the production's post-production in the State within the same taxable year the production is qualifying for the film tax credit or later taxable years.  Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026.  Repeals 1/1/2033.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EDT, WAM

HB 1946, HD2

      (HSCR1045-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO REGISTRATION OF TIME SHARES.

Provides that applications for registration renewal required by section 514E-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be deemed approved thirty days after receipt of all required documents.  Provides that any amendment to a required time share plan registration shall be deemed approved by operation of law on the sixtieth day after the amendment is submitted to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, unless the Director issues a deficiency letter within that period.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD2)

 

EDT, CPN

HB 2545, HD1

      (HSCR974-26)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to establish the Small Business Innovation Research Matching Program.  Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to establish a STEM education outreach program.  Requires and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to develop an economic diversification strategic plan.  Appropriates funds for economic diversification and defense ecosystem development.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EDT, WAM

 

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 24 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 1 minute 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 EDTcommittee@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 808-587-7225.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Senator Lynn DeCoite

Chair