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: |
Tuesday, April 7, 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 LAVA ZONE INSURANCE. Requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a study on the homeowners insurance market for lava zones 1 and 2. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE. Clarifies that the five‑year statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of campaign finance violations begins upon discovery of the offense by the Campaign Spending Commission. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO FILMING. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production obtains a permit or enters into a memorandum of agreement or understanding with DBEDT to film a visually recorded production at certain locations. Requires DBEDT to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production registers for pre-qualification or is determined to qualify for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit and simultaneously post notice on a publicly accessible part of its website. Allows individuals to sign up to receive the public notice by electronic mail or postal mail. Provides an exemption for dispositions of lands set aside for filming and film studio operation from prior approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)
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EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO HOUSING. Amends, for purposes of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation's Rent-to-Own Program, the period during which the sales price of a dwelling unit is required to remain fixed from five years to an option period to be determined by the Corporation. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO STUDENT TRANSPORTATION. Authorizes the Superintendent to hire a new contractor if a contractor under a student transportation contract fails to provide service on a contracted service capacity or designated service segment for five or more consecutive instructional days. Authorizes the Department of Education to assess a penalty if a contractor fails to provide service on a designated service segment without an approved justification. Authorizes the use of the School Bus Fare Revolving Fund to offset costs associated with procuring replacement services. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
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EDU, WAM |
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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. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO VISAS. Establishes uniform statewide requirements for policies and processes for the issuance of U and T visa certifications for noncitizen victims of crime that are consistent with federal laws and regulations governing U and T visas. Requires each state and county certifying entity to adopt a policy and process for the issuance of U and T visa certifications, consistent with those statewide requirements. Appropriates funds for the Department of the Attorney General to provide training to certifying entities and certifying officials on all federal and state requirements for U and T visa certifications. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO GOVERNMENT. Amends Act 289, SLH 2025, to replace the Senior Residence at Iwilei parcel with the Westridge parcel, repeal the designation of affected parcels as public lands, change the transfer date for the Alii Tower parcel to 12/31/2026, change the deadline for approval by the City and County of Honolulu to 12/31/2027, change the repeal date to 1/1/2028, and repeal reenactment language. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO DEMENTIA. Establishes the Hanai Memory Network Program within the Executive Office on Aging to create a network of dementia care specialists and support systems to assist individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO DEMENTIA. Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, fire chiefs, Law Enforcement Standards Board, and Department of Health to make available at least one hour of dementia‑specific training for first responders, including law enforcement officers, fire first responders, and emergency medical services personnel. Requires the Executive Office on Aging to take certain steps when reviewing and recommending dementia-specific training curricula. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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HHS/PSM, WAM |
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RELATING TO ISLAND BURIAL COUNCILS. Extends the time to fill vacancies that occur during an Island Burial Council member's term. Provides per diem compensation in the form of a stipend for Island Burial Council members representing geographic regions. Adjusts the Island Burial Councils' quorum for business to be a majority of the appointed council members, but no fewer than three members. Effective 9/9/2129. (SD1)
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HWN, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES. Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to enter into community co-management agreements and establishes qualifications for eligible community co-managers. Authorizes the disposition of public lands by a community co-management agreement. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL GRANT ADMINISTRATION. Establishes the Agricultural Grant Program and Agricultural Grant Revolving Fund for the purposes of grant application, execution, reporting, and auditing to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Appropriates funds out of the Agricultural Grant Revolving Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DOWNPAYMENT LOAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. Amends the Downpayment Loan Assistance Program by: removing the prohibition on combined loan-to-value ratios; clarifying the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation's authority to establish interest rates and allow payment waivers and interest forgiveness; authorizing financial institutions, mortgage lenders, and other loan originators to originate downpayment loans; and reducing the borrower's required personal contribution toward the downpayment. Authorizes borrowers to use a portion of a downpayment loan to pay for closing costs, prepaids, and reserves for the purchase of the residential property for which the downpayment loan is provided. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE EXPENDITURE CEILING ON THE AUTOMATED VICTIM INFORMATION AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEM SPECIAL FUND. Repeals the $600,000 annual expenditure ceiling on the Automated Victim Information and Notification System Special Fund to address rising program costs and growing victim service demands. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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PSM, WAM |
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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. Effective 1/1/3000. (SD1)
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Appropriates funds for the Area-Wide Fruit Fly Suppression Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
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AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION. Implements certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force. Establishes a working group within the State Building Code Council to develop proposals for an off-site construction program. Requires a report 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 |
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