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 12, 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 1846

Status

RELATING TO REGIONAL SHORELINE MITIGATION DISTRICTS.

Authorizes the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to approve the establishment of regional shoreline mitigation districts to facilitate regional coordination by shoreline property owners to address coastal erosion.  Requires the preparation of a regional coastal erosion and sediment management plan for each regional shoreline mitigation district.  Establishes procedures for the review of state and county permits associated with regional shoreline mitigation districts.  Establishes the support and integration of regional coastline erosion and sediment management planning as a policy under the coastal zone management program.  Appropriates moneys and establishes 1.0 FTE temporary position.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 2205

Status

RELATING TO EMERGENCY EROSION MITIGATION.

Replaces the current statutory prohibition on private shoreline hardening with a policy directing the minimization of these structures.  Establishes a clear, time-limited statutory framework for emergency permits within the conservation district, including defined standards for permit duration and extension.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 1802, HD1

(HSCR10-26)

Status

RELATING TO CONSERVATION MITIGATION BANKS.

Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources and certain public or private entities to operate conservation banks, subject to approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources, for situations where a person or entity is required to provide compensatory mitigation to offset adverse impacts to threatened, endangered, candidate, or proposed species as part of an approved incidental take license and habitat conservation plan.  Adds the associate director of the United States Geological Survey, Ecosystem Mission Area, to the membership of the Endangered Species Recovery Committee.  Requires the Endangered Species Recovery Committee to review applications and proposals for conservation banks and conduct subsequent reviews and oversight.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EEP, WAL, FIN

HB 1571

Status

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

For purposes of registering a condominium project in an agricultural district, (1) lowers the threshold from projects with five units to projects with two units for which a signed statement from a county is required and (2) requires a signed statement from the neighborhood board, if applicable.

 

WAL, CPC

HB 2047

Status

RELATING TO THE AHA MOKU ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

Amends the process for the hiring of the Executive Director of the Aha Moku Advisory Committee.  Specifies that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources is responsible for the appointment, oversight, and administrative authority over the Executive Director of the Aha Moku Advisory Committee.  Requires any formal position, recommendation, or advisory action of the Aha Moku Advisory Committee to be adopted at a duly noticed public meeting at which a quorum is present.  Amends the reporting requirements of the Aha Moku Advisory Committee.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 2434

Status

RELATING TO WATER.

Establishes a framework that provides counties or their subdivisions priority and the right of first refusal to obtain intergovernmental agreements related to the disposition of water resources for public purposes.  Establishes criteria to be applied when determining that the issuance of a state water license is in the best interest of the State.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 2426

Status

RELATING TO STATE PARKS.

Authorizes and appropriates funds for the expansion of Wailuku River State Park.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 2361

Status

RELATING TO THE KANEOHE BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide administrative support to the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council.  Requires the chairperson of the Council to be selected by the voting members from among all voting and nonvoting members on an annual and rotating basis.  Requires the Council to meet quarterly.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 2395

Status

RELATING TO THE TAKING OF MARINE DEPOSITS.

Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to approve permits for research, education, management, or propagation purposes that include the taking of marine deposits seaward of the shoreline, as long as the resources will be returned to the beach and pose no risk to the environment.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 1712

Status

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

Makes both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent standing members of the State Building Code Council, instead of members who alternate terms every 4 years.

 

WAL, JHA

HB 2544

Status

RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.

Makes permanent, rather than repealing upon the adoption of relevant administrative rules, the Department of Land and Natural Resources' authority to establish a transaction fee for certain services rendered by the Bureau of Conveyances for each recording in the Bureau of Conveyances and Land Court.  Amends the authorized uses of moneys in the Bureau of Conveyances Special Fund.  Repeals language that required the Bureau of Conveyances' microfilm fees to be established by rules.  Effective 1/1/2027.

 

WAL, FIN

HB 1619, HD1

(HSCR12-26)

Status

RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE.

Excludes from the definition of "development", as it applies to special management areas, the construction, installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of an electric vehicle charging system as a minor structure.  Includes the Public Utilities Commission in the development and implementation of plans to meet the long-term goals for zero-emissions transportation in the State.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

 

EEP, WAL, CPC

 

 

 

 

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) 586-6510.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. Mark J. Hashem

Chair