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, April 6, 2026 |
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TIME: |
10:32 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 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. Requires disclosure of the names of compensated officers of state and county contractors and grantees. Prohibits the compensated officers of state and county contractors and grantees from making, promising, or soliciting certain campaign contributions for the duration of the contract or grant from making, promising, or soliciting certain contributions for the duration of the contract or grant. Requires unlawful contributions to be returned to the contributor or escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. Appropriates funds. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. Exempts certain positions in the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital from civil service. Authorizes the Director of Health to appoint two additional associate administrators and two project managers for the Hawaii State Hospital or a secure psychiatric rehabilitation facility. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)
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HHS/LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE. Establishes a three-year Health Coverage Continuity Pilot Program within the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to assist individuals who have lost Medicaid health insurance coverage and lack access to other health insurance options. Authorizes the Department of Human Services to contract with a nonprofit health insurer or community-based organization to operate the Pilot Program under certain circumstances. Authorizes the Department of Human Services to issue premium subsidies in certain circumstances. Requires reports to the Legislature. Repeals 6/30/2029. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO INDEBTEDNESS TO THE STATE. Amends the amount that a disbursing officer may deduct from an employee's salary, wage, or compensation based on the employee's gross income. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO CAFETERIA PLANS. Requires the maximum contribution and carryover amounts for a public service flexible spending account plan to be set annually in accordance with the maximum amounts allowed under section 125 of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO REIMBURSEMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES. Requires the State or a county to reimburse an officer or employee for work-related travel costs that the officer or employee loaned to the State or a county within thirty calendar days of submitting an approved statement of completed travel. Requires the State or a county to pay interest on a loan not reimbursed within thirty calendar days until the loan is fully reimbursed. Obligates an officer or employee to request a complete refund from the travel vendor for travel not taken for good cause. Entitles an officer or employee to reimbursement from the State or a county when a travel vendor offers a partial refund or no refund. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)
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LBT/GVO, WAM |
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RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE FINANCING. Establishes a joint legislative Long-Term Care Financing Advisory Commission to examine the feasibility of different financing options for long-term care services and supports. Permits the Commission to contract for services of a part-time project director and prepare proposals for contracts for consultants to support the work of the Commission. Requires the Commission to submit reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, 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. Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Requires HTSB to extend the five-year period in the case of a declared state of emergency. Requires the Department of Education to provide support to assist emergency hires in meeting the requirements of licensure and require the training be mandatory for emergency hires in their fourth and fifth years. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS. Establishes the Community Behavioral Health Clinics Certifying Office to certify community behavioral health clinics and provide technical assistance for clinics seeking certification. Establishes the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Oversight Board. Amends the composition of the Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances and State Council on Mental Health to include a member from the Community Behavioral Health Clinics Certifying Office. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Designates the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Exempts state funds received by the State of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra from chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO EDUCATION. Requires the Department of Education to implement dyslexia sensitive linguistically appropriate universal screenings and evidence-based interventions, offer professional development on structured literacy and evidenced-based interventions, and support pre-teacher programs in training candidates in structured literacy instruction. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE GREEN FEE. Establishes the Green Fee Transparency and Accountability Program and Green Fee Resiliency Impact Dashboard, to be administered by the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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WLA/EDT/AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds for capital improvements for the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Agricultural Research and Extension Station on Kauai. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop a Human Trafficking Awareness Training Program to educate and train workers in the transient accommodations sector. Requires transient accommodations employers or transient accommodations third-party contractors to periodically provide the human trafficking awareness training to certain employees and contract workers, keep records of the training, post signage, and develop and implement a human trafficking prevention policy that includes procedures for the reporting of suspected human trafficking. Establishes penalties. Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to adopt rules. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO LANGUAGE ACCESS. Establishes a statewide Language Access Education and Workforce Development Program at the University of Hawaii. Establishes positions and appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. Requires the University of Hawaii System to collect, maintain, and publish standardized program-level data for each academic program offered. Requires maintenance of an online dashboard with program-level data. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. Authorizes the University of Hawaii to engage in enterprise-related activities for educational purposes exempt from certain county zoning requirements, under certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish a Biosecurity Government-Industry Working Group. Clarifies that the Department and the counties, including officers, employees, and authorized agents of the Department and counties, shall not be liable for costs relating to the entering of private property to control and eradicate pests. Allows the use of certain monofilament netting for the protection of plants against invasive species. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules allowing the sale and distribution of fine mesh nets, including monofilament netting, in the State to protect plants from the coconut rhinoceros beetle. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO FOOD SECURITY. Establishes and appropriates funds in the form of grants for the Hawaii Farm to Families Program under the Department of Human Services to alleviate food shortages in the State. Requires reports to the Legislature. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a vacation payout pilot program in which eligible Department of Health employees may defer unused vacation leave credits in favor of a pay out to provide home purchase down payment assistance. Requires reports to the Legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2029. (SD1)
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HHS/LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. Amends the functions and responsibilities of the State Health Planning and Development Agency. Adds a new definition of "health care" for chapter 323D, HRS. Amends the exemption threshold for bed changes to up to thirty per cent of existing licensed bed types. Exempts the Department of Health from certificate of need requirements. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO VETERANS. Repeals the 6/30/2027 deadline by which the Maui State Veterans Home must be assimilated into a state agency having a Maui affiliation and instead requires the assimilation to be completed as soon as practicable. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. Establishes a temporary, independent Public School Realignment and Closure Commission to develop and recommend a comprehensive package of school consolidations, realignments, and closures based on the federal Base Realignment and Closure model. Requires reports to the Legislature. Requires an expedited approval process by the Governor and Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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RELATING TO WATER CARRIERS. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish automatic adjustment mechanisms to address economic factors sua sponte or on application by a water carrier. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish a water carrier inflationary cost index automatic adjustment mechanism. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to waive or exempt any water carrier from any requirement under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Repeals 7/1/2033. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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CPN/TRS, WAM |
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RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. Clarifies the types of events that constitute disasters and emergencies for the purposes of emergency management. Establishes the Hawaii Community Resilience Hub Program within the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to support the development of community-based resilience hubs across the State and leverage federal, philanthropic, and private-sector funding for disaster preparedness and climate resilience. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2055. (SD1)
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PSM, 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 |