HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

EDU-WLA, EDU Public Hearings 02-13-2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:

Education pursuant to Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022.
><c> session</c><00:01:45.200><c> laws</c><00:01:45.920><c> of</c><00:01:46.320><c> Hawaii</c><00:01:
</c> act 307 session laws of Hawaii 2022. act 307 session laws of Hawaii 2022.
BR</c><00:10:35.440><c> doesn't</c> because of operation of law BR doesn't because of operation of law
:14.640><c> or</c> employees of the University of Hawaii or employees of the University of Hawaii or

Bills: SB2613, SB2147

Keywords: public school land transfer, Department of Education, DOE, land conveyance, fee simple title, tax map key, TMK, Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, Act 139, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, Kauai, Maui, Honolulu, Kaimuki Middle School, Wilcox Elementary School, school property

Summary: The committee heard SB 2613, a cleanup bill relating to public school land transfers under Act 307 (2022), which revises tax map key references and the conveyance process for properties transferred to the Department of Education. The Hawaii State Public Library System supported the measure, saying it would complete the long-unfinished separation of the library system from DOE property control and make future building projects more efficient and cost-effective. DOE also supported the bill and requested an amendment to remove TMK 43-62 parcel 10, the Wilcox Elementary School parcel, so that it could instead be transferred to the county for use with the adjacent park and tennis courts. Members focused heavily on why land transfers and construction approvals have been slow, especially the need for right-of-entry documents and an MOA for a library construction project. Library and DOE witnesses said the delays stemmed from site-control issues and confusion over property status, and that the bill would clarify which parcels are transferred by operation of law and remove the need for additional transactional documents in many cases. Several members questioned whether the bill actually changes authority or simply clarifies existing practice, and DOE said it wanted legislative clarity so the transfers are unmistakably effective on a date certain. The committee also discussed a separate section of the bill dealing with public use of school facilities after hours, including parking fees on property under DOE jurisdiction. DOE explained that any parking charges would apply only to property it controls, not county roads, and that fees are set through existing facility-use procedures. Members raised concerns about the pace of land transfers generally and urged DOE to move more expeditiously on pending parcels. The hearing then moved on to SB 2147, which would designate the first Friday in February as Love My Library Day; the library system testified in support as the committee began that measure.

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

ACT 279 WORKING GROUP Jun 2nd, 2023

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhggD1Q5BXs, 2026-07-02T01:22:48+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, To open the working group created from HR10 (2023) which is to oversee the Department of Hawaiian Homeland's execution of funds appropriated and pursuant to Act 279, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022. Chair Rep. Troy N. Hashimoto Members Rep. Daniel Holt Rep. Scott Y. Nisihimoto Rep. Mahina Poepoe Rep. David A. Tarnas Rep. Gene Ward, 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

PBS Public Hearing - Wed Feb 18, 2026 @ 10:00 AM HST

Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

Fritz continued his testimony, saying that Hawaii has risks of floods, fires, and other types of risk
This authorizes the issuance of special number plates for members of the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol.
that tried to get money based off of this compensation law but were not able to because none of them
that tried to get money based off of this compensation law but were not able to because none of them
If we pass this law and the judges see this framework, a judge in the case of Mr.

Bills: HB1997, HB2343, HB2566, HB2493

Keywords: students with disabilities, individualized education programs, emergency plans, evacuation procedures, support services, Hawaii education law, HB2343, Maui State Veterans Home, veterans home, veterans, long-term care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, hospice, Alzheimer's care, respite care, assimilate, transfer deadline, Act 99, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1997, which would require IEPs for students with disabilities to include individualized emergency accommodations and evacuation supports. The Attorney General’s office supported the intent but recommended amendments to explicitly include students with Section 504 plans and to change references from “department schools” to “public schools” so charter school students are covered. Testimony in support came from disability advocates and several individuals, including Peter Fritz, who said emergency evacuation planning should be made explicit because it is not clearly required by federal law, and Ka Swan, who emphasized student safety during emergencies. No vote or final action was taken on the bill in the transcript. The committee then took up House Bill 2343, relating to the Maui State Veterans Home. The measure would repeal a deadline for transferring the home to a state agency with a Maui affiliation and instead require the transfer to occur as soon as practicable. The Department of Defense, the Office of Veterans Services, HHSC Oahu Region, and several individuals testified in support. Committee members asked whether a more definite deadline should be used, but the department said the open-ended language was preferable because the Maui entity is not yet ready and Oahu is currently providing oversight. No vote or final action was recorded. House Bill 2566, authorizing special license plates for Hawaii Civil Air Patrol members, was also heard. The City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services testified in opposition, while Johnny Perry testified in support. The committee did not take a vote in the transcript. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2493 on wrongful imprisonment compensation procedures. The Attorney General’s office opposed the bill, arguing it would create an automatic payment mechanism without a sufficient finding of actual innocence, could trigger payments within five days of dismissal, and raised concerns about insufficient time for prosecution review and about funding and appropriation issues. Supporters, including people who said they had been wrongfully convicted and later found actually innocent, argued the bill would reduce delays and help released individuals survive while awaiting compensation. Judiciary staff requested technical amendments and said operational details still needed review. Members questioned the AG about the meaning of “actual innocence,” burden shifting, and whether the bill would better define the standard, but no vote or final action was taken.

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

EDU Public Hearing 03-18-2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:

</c><00:03:58.560><c> Um,</c> half of the legislative session. Um, half of the legislative session.
of Hawaii.
went through the County of Hawaii, Hawaii County.
went through the County of Hawaii, Hawaii County.
of the board of Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Bills: SB2024, SB896, SB2613, SB494, SB2391, SB2125, SB2614, SB2615, SB3262, SB3325, SB3118

Keywords: charter schools, public-private partnership, school facilities, education funding, community need, education, capital improvement, reporting, transparency, technical expertise, public school land transfer, Department of Education, DOE, land conveyance, fee simple title, tax map key, TMK, Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, Act 139

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

LAB Public Hearing - Thu Apr 16, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Labor

Transcript Highlights:

of Hawaii System, in the University of Hawaii System, in support. support. support.
Next up, Sherry Menor, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, in support.
of Honolulu, Hawaii Gas Company, Mana Up, HPM Building Supply, Title Guaranty of Hawaii, the AIO Family
<c> the</c> Hawaii, the AIO Family of Companies, the Hawaii, the AIO Family of Companies, the Hawaii<
, Hawaii Architectural Metal and Glass Association, Tile Contractors Association of Hawaii, and the Hawaii

Bills: HCR112

Keywords: HCR112, House Concurrent Resolution, DHRD, Department of Human Resources Development, civil service, classification system, compensation system, salary study, pay scale, job classification, position classification, state workforce, vacancy rate, hard-to-fill positions, labor shortage, recruitment, retention, public employees, state agencies, labor organizations

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

GVO DEFER, AEN-GVO Public Hearings 02-12-2026

Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

the Democratic Party of Hawaii. >> Yes.
Party of Hawaii in strong support of SB 2094.
Brian Miamoto here on behalf of the Hawaii Farm Bureau.
learning the ins and outs of the great work that you folks do here at the legislature for all of Hawaii
</c> with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Bills: SB2064, SB2662, SB2862, SB2343, SB2075, SB2781, SB2927, SB3068, SB3015, SB2929, SB2938, SB3230, SB3249, SB3332, SB3216

Keywords: state architect, construction projects, design approvals, building codes, state agency oversight, government accountability, external consultants, procurement reform, cost efficiency, in-house expertise, gubernatorial appointments, senate confirmation, executive branch, accountability, civil service, SB2343, Hawaii Legislature, regular session, lengthened session, continuous legislature

Summary: The committee met on February 12, 2026, to take decision-making on measures previously heard earlier in the month. Several bills were deferred indefinitely or set for later discussion, including SB 2064 on the Office of the State Architect, SB 3068 on procurement, and SB 3216 after its contents were moved into another measure. SB 2862 on gubernatorial appointments, SB 2781, and SB 315 were all deferred to Tuesday, February 17 at 3 p.m. in Room 225 for further work. The committee also noted that if technical problems interrupted the meeting, it would reconvene later for outstanding decision-making. The committee passed SB 2343 on the Legislature with amendments incorporating language from SB 3216, technical changes, and a defective date of 2525. SB 2075 was advanced as a Senate draft 1 after amendments responding to constitutional concerns raised by the attorney general and SPO. SB 2927 on procurement was also passed with amendments clarifying debriefing requirements and adding technical changes, and SB 2938 on search and rescue was amended to place the position in Hima rather than the Governor’s office before being adopted. SB 3249 on procurement protests was amended to remove the term "frivolous," reduce the forfeiture to half the bond amount, and note unresolved issues, then adopted. The committee also took up SB 3332 on state-funded travel, amending it to remove certain lines, report travel by position number to protect confidentiality, remove subsection G, and add a defective date of 2525; it was adopted. SB 2929 on public notice was amended into a pilot project for counties with populations between 100,000 and 175,000, with a year-end report to the Legislature, and was adopted. Later, the committee returned to SB 2094 on environmental action levels, heard testimony from the Department of Health in support of its current scientific process and from an environmental caucus witness in strong support of the bill’s transparency and petition provisions, and then deferred decision-making to February 17 at 3 p.m. in Room 225. In the joint hearing portion, SB 3233 on agricultural workforce housing drew generally supportive testimony from ADC, the Farm Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, the Hawaii Farmers Union, and the State Procurement Office, with concerns focused on clarity, flexibility for smaller farms, and avoiding concentration of benefits in one large operation. The committee ultimately recommended passing SB 3233 with the State Procurement Office’s clarifying amendments and the Hawaii Farmers Union’s amendment to ensure workforce housing incentives benefit multiple farmers, and the measure was adopted.

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

LAB Public Hearing - Tue Mar 31, 2026 @ 10:00 AM HST

Labor

Transcript Highlights:

In Hawaii, drowning is consistently one of the leading causes of death among children.
Medical Association of Hawaii in support.
of Veterans Services, State of Hawaii<00:35:39.400><c> Department</c><00:35:39.920><c> of</c><00:35:40.000
</c> Hawaii Department of Defense. Hawaii Department of Defense.
Veterans</c> the grounds of the Hawaii State Veterans the grounds of the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery

Bills: HCR92, HCR46, HCR172, HCR147, HCR112, HCR100, HR84, HR42, HR139, HR104, HR92

Keywords: automated external defibrillator, AED, cardiac arrest, state buildings, health education, public health, lifeguards, first responders, public safety, ocean safety, emergency response, Hawaii, workers' compensation, auditor, procurement audit, compliance, Department of Human Resources Development, transparency, accountability, medical care

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session 02-04-2026 11:30am

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:

with the the University of going on with the the University of Hawaii<00:14:47.199><c> uh</c><00:14:
And part of what he said is how hard they will work every day for the people of Hawaii.
</c> will work every day for the people of will work every day for the people of Hawaii.<00:23:05.840
</c><00:23:35.600><c> be</c> for the people of Hawaii and we would be for the people of Hawaii and we
The only announcement people of Hawaii.

Bills: SB2445, SB2125, SB2355, SB2834, SB3237

Keywords: pedestrian, fines, traffic laws, economic vulnerability, safety, walking, public transportation, teacher licensing, teacher shortage, emergency hire, unlicensed teacher, out-of-field teaching, licensed teachers, charter schools, Department of Education, DOE, Board of Education, licensure requirements, teacher certification, alternative licensure

HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

WAL Public Hearing - Tue Mar 24, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Water & Land

Transcript Highlights:

As you noted in our testimony, the bill seeks to amend Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 by updating
><c> of</c><00:06:47.000><c> Hawaii</c><00:06:47.880><c> 2022</c><00:06:48.640><c> by</c><00:06:48.800
><c> updating</c><00:06:49.240><c> the</c><00:06:49.360><c> TMK</c> Laws of Hawaii 2022 by updating the
TMK Laws of Hawaii 2022 by updating the TMK tax<00:06:50.360><c> map</c><00:06:50.600><c> key</c><00
</c> is from the the county of Hawaii. is from the the county of Hawaii.

Bills: SB2613, SB2543, SB2398, SB2046, SB2800, SB2818, SB2973, SB2367, SB2907, SB3067, SB3053, SB2944, SB2074, SB2596

Keywords: public school land transfer, Department of Education, DOE, land conveyance, fee simple title, tax map key, TMK, Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, Act 139, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, Kauai, Maui, Honolulu, Kaimuki Middle School, Wilcox Elementary School, school property

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2613, SD1, HD1, relating to public school land transfer. The Attorney General’s office and the Department of Education supported the bill’s technical cleanup of Act 307, but strongly opposed a new provision that would convey school parcels containing public and school library facilities to the Hawaii State Public Library System. They argued the added transfer language conflicted with Act 307’s purpose of consolidating school land for more efficient school operations, and said existing law already allows co-located library use through rights of entry, licenses, or other agreements. The library system supported the bill and said it was trying to resolve longstanding operational conflicts on shared school-campus libraries, especially where public access, construction, and campus safety issues arise. Members questioned whether the Board of Education should simply mediate the dispute, whether the bill was the right solution, and whether a formal memorandum of agreement might be a better approach than a land transfer. The library system described years of difficulty coordinating with DOE on projects and said it needed a clearer process to complete work and spend CIP funds. Discussion also touched on a Kauai parcel in the bill, identified as a tennis court, and whether resurfacing could be completed before any transfer. The Attorney General indicated that if the goal is to preserve library uses while keeping title with the state, DLNR or another documented arrangement may be more appropriate than transferring fee title to the library system. The committee then heard SB 2543 SD2 HD1, relating to state construction projects. DAGS supported the measure, and the Hawaii Ironworkers Stabilization Fund and Hawaii Building Construction Trade Council strongly supported it, saying the bill would help spot-check high-cost projects and reduce waste from overruns and delays. One testifier opposed the bill, arguing the proposed construction manager role was too limited and that DAGS needed more training, decentralized authority, and better internal decision-making rather than a new layer of oversight. Supporters said the bill was intended as a pilot program to address repeated cost overruns and improve accountability on state construction projects.

HI