KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2026
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Senator Chris Lee, Chair |
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Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF HEARING
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DATE: |
Friday, February 6, 2026 |
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TIME: |
1:00 PM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 224 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
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RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE. Prohibits foreign entities and foreign-influenced business entities from making contributions, expenditures, electioneering communications, or donations for election purposes. Requires every business entity that contributes or expends funds in a state election to certify that the entity was not a foreign corporation or foreign-influenced business entity when the contribution or expenditure was made. Specifies that if the conditions that determine whether a business entity qualifies as a foreign‑influenced business entity are held unconstitutional by a final judgment, including all appeals, the Campaign Spending Commission is required to establish revised conditions that are constitutional. Requires noncandidate committees making only independent expenditures to obtain a statement of certification from each top contributor required to be listed in an advertisement avowing that no funds were derived from foreign entities or foreign-influenced business entities.
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WLA, JDC |
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RELATING TO STATE BOATING FACILITIES. Establishes the State Boating Facility Management Lease Program within the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease management of the entire Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Repeals provisions relating to the leasing of certain fast and submerged lands of Ala Wai Boat Harbor. Requires annual reports to the Legislature.
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO BOATING. Clarifies the penalties for violations of boating and ocean recreation laws pursuant to chapter 200, HRS.
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WLA, JDC |
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RELATING TO CONSERVATION. Requires the Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules that implement wildlife viewing guidelines that substantially conform to the wildlife viewing guidelines issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires annual reports to the Legislature until rules are adopted.
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO STATE WATER CODE PENALTIES. Adds a minimum penalty and maximum penalty per violation of the State Water Code and authorizes the Commission on Water Resource Management to consider each day that a violation exists or continues to exist a separate offense. Establishes factors the CWRM must consider when determining the amount of the penalty. Increases maximum fines every 5 years from 2031 to 2046.
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WLA, JDC/WAM |
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RELATING TO LAND USE. Requires any petitioner for a district boundary amendment to obtain certification from the Commission on Water Resources Management that enough water is available for the project needs without causing harm to the relevant aquifers and provide that certification to the Land Use Commission.
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WLA, JDC |
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RELATING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION. Authorizes the Land Use Commission to amend, revise, or modify a decision and order granting a district boundary amendment, or fine a petitioner, upon finding that a petitioner or its successors or assigns have not adhered to the conditions imposed by the commission, regardless of whether there has been substantial commencement of use of the land. Defines "substantial commencement".
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WLA, JDC |
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RELATING TO THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT. Amends the definition of "development," as it pertains to coastal zone management, to exempt state- or county-sponsored infrastructure improvement projects that are consistent with the applicable county's community plans.
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WLA, WAM |
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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.
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE CONVEYANCE TAX. Requires that all conveyance tax revenues collected from the conveyance or transfer of real property located in whole or in part in a sea level rise exposure area be deposited into the Beach Restoration Special Fund. Allows funds in the Beach Restoration Special Fund to be used to acquire property.
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WLA, WAM |
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RELATING TO REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS. Requires a seller of real property adjacent to the shoreline, and the seller's agent, to disclose and include in all advertisements certain shoreline erosion issues related to the parcel.
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WLA, CPN/JDC |
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RELATING TO BEACHES. Clarifies that any person in violation of laws and subject to administrative, civil, or criminal penalties prohibiting the removal of sand from public beaches includes licensed and unlicensed contractors.
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WLA, JDC |
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Decision Making to follow, if time permits.
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.
Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.
Please note the following:
· The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.
· Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 2 minutes each.
If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf
For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.
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 WLAcommittee@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 808-587-8388.
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_____________________________________ Senator Chris Lee Chair |
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