HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Rep. David A. Tarnas, Chair |
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Rep. Mahina Poepoe, Vice Chair |
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Rep. Della Au Belatti |
Rep. Jackson D. Sayama |
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Rep. Elle Cochran |
Rep. Gregg Takayama |
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Rep. Mark J. Hashem |
Rep. Diamond Garcia |
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Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa |
Rep. Garner M. Shimizu |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Thursday, March 5, 2026 |
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TIME: |
2:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE Conference Room 325 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.
A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online
shortly before the scheduled start time.
Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO PESTICIDES. Beginning 1/1/2027, prohibits the use or application of a pesticide containing 1,3-dichloropropene as an active ingredient, such as Telone. Effective 7/1/3001. (HD2)
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AGR/EEP, CPC, JHA |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL PARK LEASES. Repeals the requirement for land covered by an agricultural park lease with a remaining term of fifteen years or less to be located in a county having a population of less than five hundred thousand in order for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to extend the lease. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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AGR, WAL, JHA |
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RELATING TO CESSPOOLS. Allows an existing cesspool that lawfully serves a single dwelling or dwelling unit in a priority level 3 area to continue serving that dwelling or dwelling unit and additional bedrooms constructed on the same parcel and within the existing dwelling or dwelling unit, subject to certain conditions. Authorizes the Department of Health to adopt rules and authorizes the restriction of additional bedrooms where evidence demonstrates that continued cesspool use impacts water quality or human health. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EEP, JHA |
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RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. Shortens the period during which certain judicial proceedings involving environmental assessments and environmental impact statements on actions that propose the use of land for, or construction of, affordable housing or clean energy projects must be initiated. Specifies that appeals from environmental courts that involve actions that propose the use of land for, or construction of, affordable housing or clean energy projects meet one of the grounds for transfer to the Supreme Court and prohibits any court from awarding attorneys' fees in these judicial proceedings. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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EEP, HSG, JHA |
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RELATING TO SINGLE-USE PLASTICS. Prohibits lodging establishments from providing personal care products in small plastic containers within sleeping room accommodations, any space within sleeping room accommodations, or bathrooms used by the public or guests. Establishes civil penalties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TOU, EEP, JHA |
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RELATING TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. Requires members of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to attend a governance training within twelve months of appointment and every two years thereafter. Exempts strategic planning retreats of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii from open meeting requirements if certain conditions are met. Requires the Candidate Advisory Council to ensure that all candidates presented to the Governor for nomination have certain subject matter experience and are not registered lobbyists who have lobbied on matters pertaining to the University of Hawaii. Exempts the financial disclosures of the Board of Regents as mandated by the State Ethics Code from being made public. Requires the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, in collaboration with the Candidate Advisory Council, to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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HED, JHA |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Prohibits a student from using a telecommunication device on school grounds during the instructional day, with certain exceptions. Requires a confiscated telecommunication device to be released only to the student's legal parent or guardian, who then has three months to retrieve the device or subject the device to forfeiture. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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EDN, JHA |
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RELATING TO EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to provide an American Sign Language interpreter during each official announcement broadcast via television or the Internet during a state of emergency. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to ensure, to the fullest extent possible, that the American Sign Language interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are visible during the broadcast. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to provide a primary pool feed for any live official announcement that includes an American Sign Language interpreter in a picture-in-picture window, and does not require broadcasters that rebroadcast the official announcement to independently generate or insert this accessibility feature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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PBS, JHA |
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RELATING TO HOUSING. Clarifies insurance, indemnification, and certain certificate of occupancy requirements for purposes of expedited permits. Repeals 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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HSG, CPC, JHA |
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RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS. Establishes safeguards, protections, oversight, and penalties for interactions between minors and artificial intelligence companion systems or conversational artificial intelligence services. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
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ECD, CPC, JHA |
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RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES. Conditions the issuance of a certificate of inspection upon a vehicle not being equipped with any cover or shield installed over the license plate. Amends the penalty for obstruction of a license plate. Allows state or county parking enforcement officers and persons authorized by a state or county law enforcement agency to issue citations for vehicles with a cover or shield obstructing the license plate. Repeals the requirement that a cover or shield be intended to alter or interfere with the visibility, legibility, or identification of a license plate by law enforcement or traffic enforcement systems. (HD1)
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TRN, JHA |
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RELATING TO IDENTIFICATION. Allows applicants for driver's permit, driver's license, or civil identification cards to request a disability notation on their permit, license, or identification card. Requires the Department of Transportation to establish public outreach efforts and coordinate with state and county law enforcement agencies regarding the disability notation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TRN, JHA |
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RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY. Part I: Requires drivers of vehicles approaching stationary motor vehicles stopped on the shoulder or roadside due to a traffic collision or vehicle maintenance or mechanical problem to slow down and make a lane change if necessary. Part II: Prohibits the operation of a pickup truck with a passenger seated in the bed or load-carrying area on roadways with posted speed limits of forty-six miles per hour or higher and roadways with three or more lanes traveling in the same direction. Provides certain exemptions from passenger restrictions. Increases the minimum age to ride in the bed or load-carrying area of a pickup truck while in operation from twelve years of age to eighteen years of age. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TRN, JHA |
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RELATING TO COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSES. Lowers the age of who may drive commercially within the State from nineteen to eighteen. Repeals the requirement that a person only operates category 3 vehicles to qualify to drive commercially in the State. Requires the Department of Transportation to amend its rules to lower the minimum age required for a commercial driver's license. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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TRN, JHA |
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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.
For remote testifiers, the House will not be responsible for bad connections on the testifier's end.
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The livestream and/or cable TV broadcast of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation (including oral, written, or ASL interpretive services) or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee clerk at (808) 586-6325. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
Click here for a complete list of House Guidelines for remote testimony.
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) 586-6325.
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________________________________________ Rep. David A. Tarnas Chair |
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