HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Rep. Chris Todd, Chair |
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Rep. Jenna Takenouchi, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Daisy Hartsfield |
Rep. Dee Morikawa |
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Rep. Ikaika Hussey |
Rep. Amy A. Perruso |
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Rep. Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy |
Rep. Shirley Ann Templo |
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Rep. Lisa Kitagawa |
Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita |
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Rep. Matthias Kusch |
Rep. David Alcos III |
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Rep. Mike Lee |
Rep. Joe Gedeon |
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Rep. Tyson K. Miyake |
Rep. Julie Reyes Oda |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Thursday February 26, 2026 |
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TIME: |
10:00 a.m. |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 308 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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A G E N D A #1
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RELATING TO ALLOWANCE ON SERVICE RETIREMENTS. Includes certain law enforcement administrators and employees of the Department of Law Enforcement as class A members of the pension and retirement systems and provides guidance for the computation of retirement benefits similar to police officers. Effective 07/01/3000. (HD2)
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LAB, JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO INDEBTEDNESS TO THE STATE. Amends the amount that a disbursing officer may deduct from an employee's salary, wage, or compensation based on the employee's gross income. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Amends the collective bargaining negotiation procedure on the repricing of classes within a bargaining unit for public employees. Establishes an impasse procedure to be applied when an employer fails to initiate the negotiation or the parties fail to reach an agreement within certain timeframes. Repeals existing law that requires a different impasse procedure to apply in those situations. Sunsets 6/30/2029. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO CAFETERIA PLANS. Specifies that the maximum contribution and carryover amounts for a public service flexible spending account plan shall be set in accordance with the annual limits prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service for cafeteria plans. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO REIMBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. Requires the State or a county to reimburse an officer or employee for work-related travel costs that the officer or employee loaned to the State or a county within thirty calendar days of submitting an approved statement of completed travel. Requires the State or a county to pay interest on a loan not reimbursed within thirty days until the loan is fully reimbursed. Obligates an officer or employee to request a complete refund from the travel vendor for travel not taken. Entitles an officer or employee to reimbursement from the State or a county when a travel vendor offers no or a partial refund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND. Allows impasses and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) to be resolved by arbitration. Repeals the prohibition against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of State and county contributions to the EUTF. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Requires the Workforce Development Council to recommend to the Governor, a comprehensive Statewide Workforce Strategy to inclusion in the State Unified Plan and be responsible for facilitating the alignment of workforce development efforts and programs conducted by state departments and agencies to achieve the State Unified Plan and the Comprehensive Statewide Workforce Strategy. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO GRANTS. Appropriates funds to the Office of Community Services (OCS) to award grants to certain nonprofit organizations. Establishes an evaluation and selection committee to oversee the awarding of grants. Requires an applicant for a grant to provide certain documentation on activities that qualify for community engagement hours to qualify for the grant. Appropriates funds for positions in OCS and for the Department of the Attorney General to assist OCS in reviewing contracts and monitoring costs. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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LAB, HSH, FIN |
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MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT COST ITEMS. Makes emergency appropriations for collective bargaining cost items for the members of bargaining units (1) and (10) and their excluded counterparts to resolve issues related to temporary hazard pay for fiscal year 2025-2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND INVESTMENT OFFICE STAFF SALARIES. Enables the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to establish appropriate salaries for the investment office staff of the Trust Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Establishes that certain participants in state-funded internship and workforce development programs are eligible for internal recruitment. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO PAID FAMILY LEAVE. By 1/1/2029, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2030, requires the Department to begin receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program. Excludes paid family and medical leave benefits from income tax. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, CPC, FIN |
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RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION MEDICAL BENEFITS. Expands workers' compensation medical benefits for firefighters to include coverage for adenocarcinoma or mesothelioma of the respiratory system; cancer of the buccal cavity, cervix, colon, esophagus, ovary, pharynx, skin, female reproductive organs, including the uterus, endometrium, and fallopian tubes, and thyroid; and malignant melanoma. Specifies that an employer may deny medical benefits under workers' compensation law only if they prove that the cancer or disease was not associated with firefighting duties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND STAFF SALARIES. Authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to establish the salary for the Assistant Administrator. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE. Establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate within the Department of the Attorney General to oversee and evaluate the delivery of services to children and their families by various state agencies and entities, receive and investigate complaints, and make recommendations for improvement. Requires annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, and public. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LMG, FIN |
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RELATING TO A REGULAR SESSION REVIEW WORKING GROUP. Establishes a Regular Session Review Working Group to determine the essential timing and effective framework for a lengthened legislative calendar for election and non-election years. Requires a report to the Legislature. Requires report finalization and drafting assistance from the Legislative Reference Bureau. Appropriates funds. Effective 10/18/3000. (HD1)
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LMG, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE STATE FOUNDATION ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS. Explicitly applies existing grant standards to Performing Arts Grants Program grants under the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Designates the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Exempts state funds received by the State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra from chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE ARTS. Establishes the Mapping of Arts Data for Education Task Force to conduct a study and develop a comprehensive, publicly available statewide database and geographic information systems map of arts entities and programs engaged in arts and arts education. Requires interim and final reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM. Transfers the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Transfers certain authority and responsibilities held by the Comptroller regarding the Works of Art Special Fund to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Appropriates funds for positions within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, ECD/LAB, FIN |
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RELATING TO ARTS EDUCATION. Appropriates funds to the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts for the Artists in the Schools Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII CULTURAL TRUST. Establishes the Hawaii Cultural Trust within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Establishes an income tax credit for contributions made to the Hawaii Cultural Trust and qualified Hawaii cultural organizations, under certain conditions. Establishes a special number plate for motor vehicles to support the Hawaii Cultural Trust. Applies the income tax credit to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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CAA, JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO PERFORMING ARTS. Establishes a performing arts ticket surcharge on the primary ticket sale price for certain performing arts events held in the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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CAA, FIN |
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RELATING TO VACATION RENTALS. Part I: Allows counties to use time-stamped screenshots as evidence for the enforcement of short-term vacation rentals. Requires the Hawaii Tourism Authority's plans, practices, and efforts involving destination management to include promotion of use of traditional or lawful transient accommodations. Clarifies that the counties may use revenue from the County Transient Accommodations Tax for the enforcement of short-term vacation rentals. Appropriates funds. Part II: Requires hosting platforms that earn service fees for providing booking services for short-term vacation rentals to register with the Department of Taxation as tax collection agents and report, collect, and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes on behalf of operators. Part II effective 1/1/2027. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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TOU, JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO TAXATION. Increases the filing thresholds for the General Excise Tax and Transient Accommodations Tax. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TOU/ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO FILM PRODUCTION. Adds the marketing and promotion of film productions filmed in the State as a power of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TOU/ECD, FIN |
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DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW
Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider. While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.
Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website. This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.
The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.
Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session. Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments. However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.
Please refrain from profanity or uncivil behavior. Violations may result in ejection from the hearing without the ability to rejoin.
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FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-6200.
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________________________________________ Rep. Chris Todd Chair |
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