HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON WATER & LAND

Rep. Mark J. Hashem, Chair

Rep. Dee Morikawa, Vice Chair

 

Rep. Della Au Belatti

Rep. Justin H. Woodson

Rep. Linda Ichiyama

Rep. Garner M. Shimizu

Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto

Rep. Kanani Souza

Rep. Mahina Poepoe

 

 

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

DATE:

Thursday, February 5, 2026

TIME:

9:00AM

PLACE:

VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE

Conference Room 411

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

 

HB 1527

Status

RELATING TO GAMBLING.

Prohibits any casino, gambling enterprise, or gambling facility from being located on state lands within or adjacent to the Aloha Stadium Development District project area or on any lands under the jurisdiction of the Stadium Authority.  Prohibits athletic programs of the University of Hawaii from competing in venues that are operated by or physically integrated with a gambling enterprise while clarifying that standard naming-rights or advertising agreements do not constitute prohibited sponsorships.

 

WAL, ECD/HED, FIN

HB 1823

Status

RELATING TO THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT.

Amends the definition of "development," as it pertains to coastal zone management, to clarify that certain activities are excluded from the definition of "development" and are not subject to special management area permit requirements and to exempt state- or county-sponsored infrastructure improvement projects that are consistent with the applicable county's community plans.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 2490

Status

RELATING TO COASTAL RESILIENCE.

Establishes a five-year Coastal Resilience Pilot Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for the preservation of Mantokuji Bay.  Exempts the Pilot Program from certain regulatory requirements.  Requires the State Historic Preservation Division to conduct a streamlined historic preservation review.  Requires annual reports to the Legislature.  Sunsets 6/30/2031.

 

WAL, ECD, FIN

HB 2223

Status

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.

Permits the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct a review of the effect of a proposed project on lands under its jurisdiction on historical properties and burial sites, subject to certain requirements.  Appropriates funds.

 

WAL, JHA, FIN

HB 2325

Status

RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPT POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Exempts certain positions within the State Historic Preservation Division and Commission on Water Resource Management within the Department of Land and Natural Resources from the state civil service law.

 

WAL, LAB, FIN

HB 2104

Status

RELATING TO ISLAND BURIAL COUNCILS.

Establishes stipends for certain Island Burial Council members.  Amends section 6E-43.5, Hawaii Revised Statues, relating to quorum and compensation.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 2593

Status

RELATING TO MAUNA KEA.

Extends for 10 years the master lease of Mauna Kea lands that is set to expire on December 31, 2033.  Requires that subleases of Mauna Kea lands to astronomical observatories be extended for 10 years.

 

WAL, HED, JHA

HB 2592

Status

RELATING TO THE MAUNA KEA STEWARDSHIP AND OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY.

Clarifies the powers of the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority so that it may carry out its intended duties regarding land use on Mauna Kea.  Part II:  Transfers as a matter of law certain real property interests in the Mauna Kea lands to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.  Part III:  Requires the University of Hawaii to transfer the various Mauna Kea astronomical observatory conservation district use permits to the astronomical observatories.  Part IV:  Provides that the existing plans and administrative rules adopted or developed by the University of Hawaii under which Mauna Kea is currently governed remain in effect until plans and administrative rules adopted by the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority take effect.  Part V:  Clarifies that the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority has state sovereign immunity.

 

WAL, HED, JHA

HB 1927

Status

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE PLANNING ACT.

Establishes green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines for state facility systems, infrastructure, and transit projects in the Hawaii State Planning Act to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors.  Adds a definition of "green infrastructure".  Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to submit a report to the Legislature making recommendations for implementing green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines.

 

WAL, EEP, FIN

HB 1553

Status

RELATING TO HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS.

Requires any operator of a golf course in the State to consult with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to apply for an incidental take license and enter into a habitat conservation plan.  Requires any existing habitat conservation plan that does not include an agreement for emergency medical and rehabilitation services to affected native wildlife to be amended to include the agreement, and the amended rights and obligations under the habitat conservation plan to be recorded by a certain deadline.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 1964

Status

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

Implements certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force.  Requires the State Building Code Council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees.  Appropriates funds for the training, subject to a matching funds requirement from the counties.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 1918

Status

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Imposes conveyance tax on the transfer of a controlling interest of an entity with an interest in real property.  Stipulates that the imposition of the conveyance tax on transfers of entity ownership shall not apply to any transfer of interest or acquisition between entities wholly owned by the same common ownership that results in no change in the beneficial ownership.  Imposes the conveyance tax on certain transfers of real property at the lowest tax rate.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 1990

Status

RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY.

Establishes penalties for an owner of real property's failure to remediate zoning violations, including fines and liens.  Permits a county planning or permitting agency or the Attorney General, or a private entity under certain circumstances, to commence foreclosure proceedings if the owner fails to satisfy certain conditions.

 

WAL, JHA

 

 

 

 

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) 586-6510.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. Mark J. Hashem

Chair