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: |
Monday, March 2, 2026 |
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TIME: |
2:00 p.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 #2
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RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. Requires the UH system to collect, maintain, and publish standardized program-level data for each academic program offered. Requires maintenance of an online dashboard with program-level data. Requires an annual report. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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HED, FIN |
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RELATING TO PERMITTING. Implements certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a permitting workforce pipeline in partnership with the University of Hawaii and community colleges and coordinate with state and county permitting agencies on certain tasks related to classification levels, salary and benefits, hiring, and responsibilities of employees. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, HED, FIN |
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RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES. Increases the number of enterprise zones that may be nominated by each county. Authorizes enterprise zone designation for census tracts that contain the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Allow businesses not established in an enterprise zone to qualify for enterprise zone benefits; provided that they have entered into a binding collaboration or contract with a business that is established in the census tract that contains the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine or the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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ECD, HED, FIN |
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RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Establishes a Hilo-Kona transportation pilot program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to study, plan, evaluate, implement, and trial transportation routes and services connecting Hilo and Kona. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, TRN, FIN |
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RELATING TO VISAS. Establishes uniform statewide requirements for policies and processes for the issuance of U and T visa certifications for noncitizen victims of crime that are consistent with federal laws and regulations governing U and T visas. Requires each state and county certifying entity to adopt a policy and process for the issuance of U and T visa certifications, consistent with those statewide requirements. Appropriates funds for the Department of the Attorney General to provide training to certifying entities and certifying officials on all federal and state requirements for U and T visa certifications. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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ECD, JHA, FIN |
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RELATING TO TAXATION. Imposes the manufacturing general excise tax rate on motion picture, digital media, and film productions and repeals the provision in the definition of "qualified production costs" that applied the term to mean costs incurred that are subject to the highest general excise tax rate. Exempts from the general excise tax certain amounts received by a motion picture project employer from a client company equal to amounts that are disbursed by the motion picture project employer for employee wages, salaries, payroll taxes, insurance premiums, and employment benefits and payments to loan-out companies. Requires persons making payment to a loan-out company and claiming the Motion Picture, Digital Meida, and Film Production Tax Credit to deduct and withhold an amount exceeding the amount actually due for all payments made to the loan-out company for services performed in the State. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO TAXATION. Amends and repeals certain exemptions under the general excise tax and use tax laws. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX. Increases the capital gains tax rate for individuals, estates, and trusts to nine per cent. Increases the alternative capital gains tax for corporations to five per cent. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO AN HONORARY AMBASSADOR TO CANADA. Establishes an honorary ambassador to Canada position within the Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO TAX EXPENDITURE EVALUATION. Requires tax expenditure disclosure to, and evaluation by, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for certain income tax credits and general excise and use tax exemptions. Applies to tax years beginning after 12/31/2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. Authorizes the Governor and Legislature to enter into nonbinding international cooperative agreements with foreign national governments, foreign subnational jurisdictions, and regional intergovernmental partners. Authorizes the Hawaii Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission to review proposals for sister-state or province partnerships and international cooperative agreements. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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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)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO TAX CREDIT FOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. Amends the tax credit for research activities by: allowing taxpayers to claim all qualified research expenses without regard to prior-year expenses; increasing the annual cap; requiring the tax credit to be divided on a proportional basis if the annual statewide cap is reached; and requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish an annual application period and notify each qualified high technology business applicant of the credit amount certified. Applies retroactive to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2024. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Establishes the Hawaii Micro-Lending Credit Enhancement Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to expand micro-lending capacity by providing state‑funded loan loss reserves or other credit enhancement that absorbs first losses on qualified micro-loans made by participating lenders to Hawaii small businesses. Allows borrower fees and state matching contributions to capitalize lender-held loan loss reserve accounts. Establishes the Hawaii Micro-Lending Credit Enhancement Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. Requires the Chief Data Officer to enhance the State's open data portal website through the phased development and publishing of an artificial intelligence chatbot and necessary data visualizations on statewide shared data sets to assist the public. Requires the Chief Data Officer to develop a system to evaluate and select artificial intelligence governance tools for use by state departments and agencies and establish a mechanism for reporting and publication of artificial intelligence use cases and artificial intelligence vendors used by the departments and agencies. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM. Establishes and appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaii Employer-Led Sector Partnerships Special Fund. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to coordinate its sector partnership activities with the Workforce Development Council. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Establishes a business competitiveness goal for the State to be nationally ranked in the top thirty states for business climate by 2050, with interim goals. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit annual progress reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Appropriates funds for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to establish advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity specialist and marketing and branding specialist positions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Establishes the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation Revolving Fund for the purpose of financing the State's matching contributions required by federal grants. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Declares that the State is an ocean cluster. Establishes the Office of Marine Affairs within the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation for administrative purposes only. Establishes and appropriates funds for the Marine Affairs Coordinator position. Requires the Marine Affairs Coordinator to submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. Transfers the functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs. Appropriates funds for the Office of Marine Affairs to procure the services of a consultant to support the marine affairs declaration of intent. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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RELATING TO FILMING. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production obtains a permit or enters into a memorandum of agreement or understanding with DBEDT to film a visually recorded production at certain locations. Requires DBEDT to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production registers for pre-qualification or is determined to qualify for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit and simultaneously post notice on a publicly accessible part of its website. Allows individuals to sign up to receive notice by electronic mail or postal mail. Provides an exemption for dispositions of lands set aside for filming and film studio operation from prior approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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ECD, FIN |
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.
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The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.
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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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