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: |
Wednesday, March 4, 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 WILDFIRE MITIGATION. Establishes the Wildfire Mitigation Working Group. Requires a report to the Legislature. Requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide administrative support to the working group. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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PSM/WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH. Expands the services eligible for Medicaid Prospective Payment System reimbursement to include certain services furnished by a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic and provided by mental health professionals under the clinical supervision of a licensed mental health professional. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules to allow medical assistance reimbursement payments for services provided to recipients eligible for Medicaid benefits under any plan under Medicaid managed care programs in the State by unlicensed mental health professionals under the clinical supervision of a licensed mental health professional. Requires the Department of Human Services to seek necessary waivers and any additional approvals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Effective 1/30/2050. Implementation begins 7/1/2028 after approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE TWO-LINED SPITTLEBUG. Establishes a two-year Two-Lined Spittlebug Response Pilot Program to mitigate and control the spread of the two-lined spittlebug. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO REGIONAL SHORELINE MITIGATION DISTRICTS. Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to plan and serve in a coordinating role to develop shoreline adaptation pathways plans for regional shoreline mitigation districts designated by the Office. Requires OPSD to coordinate shoreline adaptation pathways planning with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, applicable county planning department, and the community. Requires OPSD to collaborate with community stakeholders and consider certain criteria when developing a shoreline adaptation pathways plan. Requires OPSD, upon finalization of a shoreline adaptation pathways plan to transmit the plan to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for approval. Authorizes BLNR to adopt a shoreline adaptation pathways plan after determining that the plan satisfies certain requirements. Establishes procedures for the review of state and county permits associated with regional shoreline mitigation districts. Establishes the support and integration of shoreline adaptation pathways planning as a policy under the coastal zone management program. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2065. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LAND. Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds to the Agribusiness Development Corporation for the purchase of an agricultural parcel for agricultural development. Establishes one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Hawaii Island Property Manager position within the ADC. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT/AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO STATE BUILDING PROJECTS. Establishes the State Building Permit Process Task Force within the Department of Accounting and General Services to evaluate the challenges, opportunities, and legislative actions necessary to establish a State Building Permit Review Office for state projects located on state-owned lands. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Sunsets the State Building Permit Process Task Force on 6/30/2028. Effective 7/1/2525. (SD1)
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GVO, WAM |
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RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES. Expands the definition of "eligible business activity" to include certain research and development activities and information technology design and production services. Authorizes the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to declare up to two census tracts in the State that contain an innovation enterprise to be designated as an enterprise zone, subject to the Governor's approval. Requires DBEDT to conduct an in-house comprehensive review, in consultation with the Department of Taxation, of the State Enterprise Zones Program established under chapter 209E, HRS. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT/EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO FERAL CHICKENS. Appropriates funds to each county to facilitate the collection of feral chickens that have already been caught. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EIG, WAM |
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RELATING TO MARINE AFFAIRS. Declares that the State is an ocean cluster. Establishes the Office of Marine Affairs under the Governor's Office for administrative purposes only. Establishes the Marine Affairs Coordinator position. Requires the Marine Affairs Coordinator to submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. Transfers the employees and functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs. Appropriates funds for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Marine Affairs Coordinator position. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT/AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE STATE RISK MANAGEMENT REVOLVING FUND. Increases the expenditure ceiling and appropriates funds out of the State Risk Management Revolving Fund established by section 41D-4, HRS, to enable the Department of Accounting and General Services, State Risk Management and Insurance Administration to transfer and distribute property and liability insurance proceeds related to the 2023 Maui wildfires to applicable accounts. Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to submit to the Legislature a master coordinated project spreadsheet developed in collaboration with certain state agencies, the County of Maui, and other relevant entities. Effective 7/1/2525. (SD1)
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GVO, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Expands the allowable uses of Hawaii Technology Development Corporation grant funds to include providing grants to applicants for qualifying federal research and development awards and matching funds for recipients of those awards and related contracts. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO ENERGY ASSISTANCE. Establishes the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within the Department of Human Services to assist qualifying households in paying their energy bills. Requires the Public Benefits Fee Administrator of the Public Utilities Commission to provide certain information and assistance to recipients of the program. (SD1)
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HHS/CPN, WAM |
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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