KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair |
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Senator Sharon Y. Moriwaki, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF DECISION MAKING
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DATE: |
Monday, March 2, 2026 |
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TIME: |
10:31 AM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 211 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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TIMESLOT: |
WAM |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
The following measure(s) were previously heard in their respective subject matter committees:
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RELATING TO CIVIL RIGHTS. Requires the Civil Rights Commission to establish a twenty-four hour intake helpline for individuals to submit reports of harms from federal deployments in the State. Requires the Civil Rights Commission to compile an annual report and hold an annual public hearing on data obtained through the helpline. Requires the Civil Rights Commission to compile and submit to the Legislature, and post on its website, a monthly preliminary report on data obtained through the helpline. Appropriates funds to establish an unspecified number of Civil Rights Investigator, Data Analyst, and Program Manager positions within the Civil Rights Commission. Appropriates funds for the Civil Rights Commission to contract with Aloha United Way to implement the twenty-four hour intake helpline and for website and data development costs. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO POLITICAL FUNDRAISING BY EXECUTIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES. Prohibits any Executive Branch employee who is nominated or appointed by the Governor to a compensated position subject to confirmation by the Senate from engaging in certain campaign fundraising activities. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES. Expands the scope of persons who are required to file financial disclosures to include certain gubernatorial nominees subject to Senate confirmation. Makes technical amendments relating to legislators. Effective 1/1/2027. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING. Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO HOME HEALTH LICENSING. Authorizes the Department of Health to accept accreditation from an accreditation organization or a certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as demonstration that a licensed home health agency is in compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State. Specifies conditions under which a home health agency may be exempt from a licensing inspection on a continuing basis. Requires information obtained in reports of survey and accreditation or certification letters to be public information.
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCING FOR CANDIDATES TO ELECTED OFFICE. Establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State, to begin with the 2028 general election year. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to submit reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Transfers oversight of the Aquaculture and Livestock Support Services Branch of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to the Agribusiness Development Corporation. Transfers the Agricultural Development Division of DAB to the ADC. Requires that certain regulatory functions related to animal health, biosecurity enforcement, inspections, and permitting compliance remain within DAB. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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AEN/EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES. Amends the definition of "eligible business activity" for Enterprise Zone Program purposes to include retail sales of tangible personal property manufactured and sold in an enterprise zone that is to be used or consumed by the purchaser and not for resale, the processing of value-added agricultural products grown within an enterprise zone, and the provision of professional services by health care professionals in health care-related sectors. Extends the eligibility period of the state business tax credit and general excise tax exemption for qualified businesses within state Enterprise Zones from 7 years to 9 years. Extends the eligibility period of the general excise tax exemption for qualified businesses within state Enterprise Zones engaged in the manufacturing of tangible personal property or the producing or processing of agricultural products from 10 years to 12 years. Makes the extension of the state business tax credit eligibility period applicable to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Makes the extension of the general excise tax exemption eligibility period take effect on 1/1/2028. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO TAXATION. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to study the impacts of disallowing the dividends paid deduction for real estate investment trusts. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT/CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO PARTIAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS. Increases the expenditure limit and the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all elective offices. Adjusts the minimum amount of qualifying contributions certain candidates must receive to participate in the program. Increases the matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions. Appropriates funds for the program. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. Prohibits state or county contractor's compensated officers and any officer's immediate family, with contracts of $100,000 or more for goods or services or $250,000 or more for construction, from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the contract. Prohibits grantees, grantees' compensated officers and grantees' officer's immediate family, with grants of more than $100,000, from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the grant. Requires any unlawful contribution to be returned to the contributor or it will escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund. Requires the disclosure of names of any compensated officers and immediate family members of a state or county contractor or grantee for contracts or grants exceeding a certain amount. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to make available to candidate and noncandidate committees the disclosed names in a password-protected database. Effective 11/4/2026. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION'S ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. Amends various sections of Hawaii's campaign spending laws by requiring designated campaign finance forms to be submitted electronically through the Campaign Spending Commission's upgraded electronic filing system.
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. Makes permanent the Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program established pursuant to Act 235, SLH 2025. Renames the program as the Agricultural Enforcement Program and expands the program statewide. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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PSM, WAM |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to develop an alternative pathway for a visiting international educator permit aligned to the duration of the educator's J-1 visa program. Repeals 6/30/2031.
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO TOBACCO ENFORCEMENT. Updates tobacco enforcement laws to confirm the authority of the Department of Taxation and the Department of the Attorney General to inspect and seize tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices and e-liquids. Clarifies that untaxed tobacco products are subject to forfeiture as contraband, without regard to the procedures set forth in chapter 712A, HRS, in the same manner as untaxed cigarettes. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO A PROGRAM TO CHARACTERIZE THE POTENTIAL OF UNDERGROUND ENERGY RESOURCES STATEWIDE. Establishes the Underground Energy Resource Characterization Program to identify the location and characteristics of underground energy resources through the use of slim-hole bores and requires a related environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Requires reports to the legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/19/2042. (SD1)
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EIG, WAM |
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RELATING TO MILITARY FAMILIES. Authorizes an eligible employee to take family leave for a qualifying military exigency under state law. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)
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LBT/PSM, WAM |
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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 1/1/2077. (SD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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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 officers and investment analysts of the Trust Fund. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII NATIONAL GUARD. Clarifies that employees of the Hawaii National Guard youth and adult educational programs are excluded from collective bargaining. Renames the "Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Program" to the "Hawaii National Guard Civil-Military Program" and codifies its Hawaiian name, "Na Kula Alaka?i". (SD1)
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PSM/LBT, WAM |
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Decision making meeting only, no oral testimony will be accepted.
Persons wishing to submit written testimony may do so up to 24 hours prior to the hearing. Click here to submit written testimony.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email WAMcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808)586-6800.
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_____________________________________ Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz Chair |
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