Hawaii House Bill HR116

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/18/26
• Report Pass: 4/2/26
• Refer: 4/2/26
• Report Pass: 4/9/26
• Passed: 4/9/26

Caption

Requesting The Department Of Hawaiian Home Lands To Expand And Strengthen Financial Literacy, Credit Readiness, And Homeownership Preparedness Programs.

Summary

H.R. 116 is a House Resolution requesting the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to expand and strengthen programs that help Native Hawaiian beneficiaries with financial literacy, credit readiness, and homeownership preparedness. The measure emphasizes pre-award education, post-award counseling, culturally responsive materials, and partnerships with financial education providers, credit counselors, mortgage lenders, and community-based organizations. The resolution also asks DHHL to identify funding needs and possible federal or private grant opportunities, and to report back to the Legislature before the 2027 Regular Session on program improvements, the number of beneficiaries served, outcomes related to lease retention and credit improvement, and any additional resources needed. As a resolution, it does not directly change statutory law or create a new mandate, but it formally expresses legislative support and requests administrative action and reporting from DHHL.

Impact

HR 116 would not amend the Hawaii Revised Statutes or impose a binding legal requirement; instead, it directs DHHL through a legislative request to enhance existing beneficiary support programs. Its practical impact would be on DHHL operations, potentially leading to expanded financial education services, stronger counseling support, improved coordination with outside partners, and a formal reporting framework for measuring outcomes tied to lease stability and homeownership readiness.

Sentiment

The available context suggests a positive and supportive sentiment toward the resolution. The bill’s language frames the issue as a way to improve long-term housing stability, credit outcomes, and generational wealth for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes indicating opposition. Because no voting history is provided, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as generally favorable and noncontroversial based on the measure’s purpose.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials. If concerns were raised, they would most likely relate to implementation details such as funding, staffing, coordination with outside partners, or how DHHL would measure success and report outcomes. The resolution’s request for culturally responsive materials and grant-seeking may also raise questions about resource allocation, but no opposing views are recorded in the provided context.