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NEWS
HOW MAJOR BILLS FARED AT THE CAPITOL
Here is the status of major bills near the halfway point of the 60-day legislative session. The bills that are alive have passed at least one chamber of the Legislature.
The bills that are failing were not approved by the House or Senate by Thursday’s procedural deadline. Failing bills can be revived later, however,
GOVERNMENT
PASSING
Mauna Kea
HB 2024, HD 1
Establishes the Mauna
a Wakea stewardship
authority to solely
manage state lands on
Mauna Kea.
Gifts to legislators
HB 2069, HD 2
Outlines how lawmakers
and state employees
report and deal with gifts
from foreign, federal and
state officials.
Abandoned vehicles
HB 1413, HD 2
Allows counties to
require payment of
outstanding charges and
fines related to an aban-
doned vehicle before
issuing a certificate of
registration or completing
a transfer of ownership.
Elections
SB 2162, SD 1
Establishes ranked
choice voting for special
federal elections and spe-
cial elections of vacant
County Council seats.
Proclamation limits
HB 1585, HD 1
Authorizes the Legis-
lature to terminate a
state of emergency by
two-thirds vote.
“Rainy day” fund
SB 3074, SD 1
Unspecified general
fund appropriation for
fiscal year 2021-2022
to the Emergency and
Budget Reserve Fund.
Home lands
SB 3359, SD 2
Appropriates $600 million
to fund homestead lot
development and down
payment assistance and
mortgage assistance
to state Department of
Hawaiian Home Lands
beneficiaries.
HB 2511, HD 2
Appropriates $600 mil-
lion for DHHL home-
stead lot development.
FAILING
Transparency
HB 1897, HD 1
Would require all boards
to livestream meet-
ings and archive the
recordings online, identify
each item on its meeting
agenda as an item for
action or discussion, and
allow for oral testimony
after each agenda item.
Board meetings, minutes
and board packets would
have to be posted online.
HB 1874
Would allow boards
to conduct up to one
retreat in private per
calendar year provided
that the board does not
vote on any matter, make
decisions or deliberate
toward a decision on any
matter pending before
the board or likely to arise
before the board.
Gifts to legislators
HB 1871, SB 2714
Exempt legislators and
state employees from
bans in the state Code
of Ethics from accepting
foreign protocol gifts,
gifts of aloha, invitations
to certain events and
meals, under certain
conditions.
Gambling
HB 2040, SB 2365
Would allow for a state
lottery.
HB 1820
Would grant a 10-year
license for one stand-
alone, members-only
casino in Waikiki, not in
a hotel.
SB 2310, HB 2485
Would establish a com-
mission to implement a
lottery from which “ex-
cess” proceeds would
go toward efforts to
reduce invasive species
HB 2004, SB 3028
Would allow for online
fantasy sports contests.
Whistleblower
hotline
HB 2005
Would require the
ombudsman to establish
and manage a hotline
by which an employee,
or a person acting on
behalf of an employee,
may contact the office of
the ombudsman directly
to report a violation or
suspected violation of
a law, rule, ordinance
or regulation by state,
county or federal agen-
cies or employees.
and measures can be rewritten to change their effect before the session adjourns in May.
TAXES AND FEES
PASSING
Tourism user fee
SB 3192, SD 2
Establishes a program
to collect an entry fee for
visitors at a state park,
beach, state-owned
forest, hiking trail or other
state-owned natural area.
Emissions tax
HB 2278, HD 1
Establishes a refundable
income tax credit to miti-
gate a carbon emissions
tax on taxpayers; amends
the environmental re-
sponse, energy and food
security tax to address
carbon emissions.
Income tax
SB 3099, SD 1
Extends the availability of
the state earned income
tax credit until 2028.
Electronic tax filing
HB 2177, HD 2
Expands the Tax Depart­
ment’s authority to
require electronic filings.
Vehicle registration
HB 1688, HD 1
Subjects U-drive motor
vehicles to the same
registration fees as other
motor vehicles; authoriz-
es counties to use motor
vehicle registration fees
to address impacts of
tourism-related traffic
congestion.
Wholesale tax
SB 2020, SD 1
Clarifies that sales of
goods to a licensed
retail merchant, jobber or
other licensed seller for
resale are eligible for the
wholesale general excise
tax rate only if the resale
is subject to the highest
tax rate.
FAILING
Tax rebates
SB 3100, HB 2132
Would give Hawaii
taxpayers and their de-
pendent family members
each a $100 tax rebate.
Climate change
mitigation
HB 1451, SB 2054
Assesses a climate
change mitigation impact
fee on every customer
who uses a rental motor
vehicle.
High-earner taxes
HB 1505, SB 2242
Increases personal
income tax revenues for
high-earning taxpayers;
increases the tax on
capital gains; increases
the corporate income tax
under a single rate.
SB 3250, SD 1
Establishes two addi-
tional marginal tax rates
for people, estates and
trusts, including joint
filers whose income
exceeds $10 million and
individuals whose income
exceeds $5 million.
SB 3182, SD 1
Establishes a wealth
asset tax of 1% of the
state net worth of each
individual taxpayer who
holds $20 million or more
in assets in Hawaii.
Transient
Would fund construc-
accommodations tax tion of an agriculture
HB 1948
Exempts state residents
from the transient accom-
modations tax.
TAT green fee
SB 2098, HB 1439
Establishes a green-fee
surcharge on transient
accommodations to fund
a workforce and services
promoting environmental
goals.
Liquor tax
SB 2441, HB 1618
Beginning July 1, estab-
lishes a 10-cent per drink
surcharge.
SB 2246
Establishes a conveyance
tax vacancy surcharge on
sales of prolonged vacant
property for taxable years
after Dec. 31; disallows
dividends paid deduction
for real estate investment
trusts.
Tourist green fees
SB 3012, HB 1802
Requires the state Depart-
ment of Land and Natural
Resources to establish a
visitor green fee program
to collect tourism fees to
help offset impacts on
climate change.
HB 1512
Establishes an environ-
mental surcharge on
visitor accommodations,
with proceeds invested in
clean energy and natural
resource conservation.
EDUCATION
PASSING
BOE diversification
HB 1986, HD 2
Would require one Board
of Education member to
be a Hawaiian immersion
expert.
Teacher salaries
SB 2819, SD 2
Would alleviate compres-
sion of teacher salaries.
Differential pay
SB 2820, SD 2
Would fund differential
pay for teachers in spe-
cial education, Hawaiian
immersion and remote
schools to help address
labor shortages.
Development
SB 3209, SD 2
Would reestablish fund-
ing for 21 hours of paid
professional development
for teachers annually.
Harassment
HB 2125, HD 2
Would establish a
misdemeanor offense for
disrupting or interfering
with the administration
or functions of a school,
school administration
office or school board.
Digital learning
SB 2184, SD 1
Would establish and fund
a digital learning center
within the Department of
Education in part to help
students develop and
improve digital literacy
skills.
Air conditioning
SB 2862, SD 1
Would provide funding
to install air conditioning
units in public school
classrooms after a
$100 million initiative in
2016 that cooled about
1,300 classrooms. More
than 5,000 classrooms
have heat abatement
needs. An initial version
of the bill proposed
spending $40 million.
Menstrual equity
SB 2821, SD 2
Would make available
free menstrual products
for students at all public
schools.
LGBTQ training
HB 1697, HD 1
Would require the Depart-
ment of Education to train
school staff to represent
in a positive way health
topics related to lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgen-
der, queer, questioning,
intersex, asexual and
other sexual orientations
and gender identities as
well as persons of color
and the disabled.
Sex trafficking
SB 1347, SD 1
Would make training
available to public school
staff about sex trafficking
prevention and response.
Construction
HB 2000, HD 1
Would appropriate an
unspecified sum to build
preschool facilities.
Agriculture facility
SB 3096, SD 1
innovation center to grow
food for school use and
educate students possi-
bly on Kauai; an original
proposed appropriation
was $6 million.
Agricultural careers
SB 2928, SD 3
Would form a working
group to create a plan
to establish agricultural
career pathways in high
school through post-sec-
ondary education.
Psychologists
SB 2823, SD 2
Would provide monetary
incentives for public school
psychologists to be na-
tionally certified. Incentives
would include $5,000
a year for maintaining
National Association of
School Psychologists cer-
tification, up to $500 for
completing all components
of the credential program
and $5,000 a year for
certified psychologists
who serve children in
hard-to-fill areas.
FAILING
Retiree reuse
HB 1736, HD 2
Would temporarily allow
retired licensed teachers
to return to work during
a state of emergency
within 12 months of
retirement.
CONSUMER
PROTECTION/LABOR
PASSING
Minimum wage
SB 2018
Would raise Hawaii’s
minimum hourly wage of
$10.10 to $18 in 2026
after an initial step up to
$12 on Oct. 1, followed
by $15 on Jan. 1, 2024.
HB 2510, HD 2
Would raise Hawaii’s
$10.10 minimum hourly
wage to $18 in 2028
after annual $1 increases
starting Jan. 1.
Needy family aid
HB 2233, HD 1; SB 2150,
SD 2
Authorizes up to $500
monthly in temporary aid
for eligible needy families
participating in the state’s
first-to-work program.
Unpaid internships
SB 988, SD 1
Establishes detailed
guidelines for unpaid
internships.
Telework
SB 2940, SD 2
Would direct a state
agency to establish a
telework policy for state
employees.
Food banks
SB 2169, SD 2; HB 1745,
HD 1
Provides assistance to
local food banks; an
initial appropriation pro-
posal was $2 million.
Coffee labeling
HB 1517, HD 2
Requires packaged
Hawaii-branded coffee to
include a 51% minimum
of island-grown beans
and requires blends to
disclose geographic and
regional origins.
Stolen bicycles
HB 1991, HD 2
Requires the Honolulu
Police Department to es-
tablish a public database
of reported stolen bikes
and make it illegal to sell
bikes in the database.
Disabled workers
HB 1787, HD 2
Establishes an “employ-
ment first” policy for the
state and counties that
promotes fair wages
for workers who have
disabilities; the policy
would not require giving
a preference to hiring a
person with a disability.
UPW raises
HB 2091, HD 2
Funds an agreement on a
new collective bargaining
contract between state
administrators and Unit 1
of the United Public Work-
ers union representing
around 6,000 blue-collar,
nonsupervisory workers.
The agreement would give
unit members a $1,000
one-time payment plus
pay increases of 3.72%
effective Oct. 1; 5% on
July 1, 2023; and 5% on
July 1, 2024.
FAILING
Unemployment
HB 1505, SB 2242
Exempts unemployment
payments from state
personal income taxes
while raising capital gains
taxes and taxes on
high-income earners.
Tobacco regulation
SB 2037
Bans the sale of flavored
tobacco products and
e-liquid products misla-
beled as nicotine-free.
Cryptocurrency
SB 2697, SD 1; HB 2287
Aims to broaden local
trading in cryptocur-
rencies by excluding
brokered transfers from
Hawaii’s Money Transmit-
ters Modernization Act.
5G technology
HB 1915
Prohibits deployment of
fifth-generation cellular
network equipment within
a to-be-determined radius
of state airports and navi-
gational equipment.
Liquor shipping
SB 2289, HB 2189
Allows licensed makers
of beer and distilled
spirits to ship product
directly to consumers of
legal age.
Noisy engines
HB 1901, SB 3009
Bans the sale of two-
stroke engines and
machines powered by
two-stroke engines,
which can include weed
whackers, leaf blowers,
chain saws, motor
scooters, mopeds and
personal watercraft, as of
Jan. 1, 2024.
PUBLIC
SAFETY
PASSING
Stun guns
HB 1732, HD 1
Prohibits individuals from
carrying an electric gun
in or near certain places,
including public schools,
other local government
buildings and mass tran-
sit facilities and vehicles
unless they qualify for
exceptions.
Catalytic converters tanks with a capacity
SB 2279, SD 2
Adds new rules pertain-
ing to the sale of used
catalytic converters,
including requirements
for dealers to report
purchases to a police
department database,
to pay sellers by check
and to hold catalytic
converters that they buy
for 60 days; also requires
initial sellers of catalytic
converters to provide
a notarized declaration
describing circumstanc-
es of their acquisition.
Justice reform
HB 2015, HD 2
Would fund a new
research institute within
the University of Hawaii
William S. Richardson
School of Law that aims
to address criminal
legal system effects on
vulnerable communities,
including Native Hawai-
ians, with a focus on
restoration and healing.
Female searches
SB 2777, SD 1
Requires searches of
female inmates be done
by a female correctional
facility employee unless
the prisoner presents
a risk of escape or
immediate harm; also
excludes male employ-
ees from areas where
female inmates might be
undressed unless the
same risk exists.
Women’s court
HB 2421, HD 1
Would establish a three-
year women’s court pilot
program on Oahu with a
goal of diverting partici-
pants from incarceration
and reducing recidivism.
Kupuna drivers
HB 1822, HD 1
Would lengthen the
maximum valid term of
a driver’s license to four
years from two years
for applicants who are
72 to 79 years old; also
requires such applicants
to have their physical
and mental competence
certified by a doctor.
Sex victims
SB 3347, SD 2
Would establish a
one-year pilot program
to pay $2,000 a month
to verified victims of sex
trafficking who seek to
exit the sex trade.
FAILING
‘Stand Your Ground’
HB 2464, HD 1
Eliminates provision that
retreat must be consid-
ered before using deadly
force.
Fireworks imports
SB 2743
Would create a program
to randomly inspect ship-
ping containers arriving in
Hawaii for illegal fireworks,
in part using dogs trained
to detect explosives.
Fireworks task force
HB 1604
Would establish an
illegal-firework task force
within the state Depart-
ment of the Attorney
General to develop a
comprehensive strategic
plan to combat importa-
tion of illegal fireworks.
Fireworks police
SB 2028
Would create a special
undercover enforcement
unit within the Honolulu
Police Department to
enforce laws related to
illegal fireworks.
Prostitution
SB 2557, HB 2265
Would decriminalize
offering, agreeing to
or engaging in sexual
conduct with another
person in return for a fee
or anything of value.
Warrants
HB 1509, SB 2576
Requires verbal an-
nouncement and 30-
second wait by uni-
formed law enforcement
officers before executing
an arrest or search
warrant at a home or
building.
HEALTH
PASSING
Red Hill
SB 2172, SD 2; SB 2600,
SD 2; HB 2274, HD 2
Prohibits the issuance
of future large-capacity
underground fuel storage
tanks mauka of the
applicable underground
injection control line.
HB 2514, HD 1
Prohibits the operation
of underground storage
greater than 100,000
gallons.
Testing lab
HB 2515, HD 2
Requires the Department
of Health to establish
and operate a laboratory
capable of testing for
diseases, air and water
quality issues, and other
high-complexity testing.
Animal control
SB 2837, SD 2
Establishes a spay and
neuter special fund and
allows funds from an
income tax check-off to
be deposited into the
special fund.
Hawaiian burials
HB 1894, HD 3; SB 2828,
SD 2
Accommodates the use
of both traditional Native
Hawaiian burial practices
and environmentally
friendly burial practices
by including water cre-
mation in the treatment
and disposal of human
remains.
Waste disposal
HB 1712, HD 1; SB 2944,
SD 1
Prohibits siting of waste
disposal facilities on
important agricultural
lands and agricultural
lands with Class A and B
productivity ratings.
FAILING
Support animals
SB 2194
Specifies that anxiety
and emotional disorders
are disabilities for which
service animals may be
used for assistance
SB 2438, SD 1; HB 1944
Requires that a disclaim-
er be provided by sellers
or providers of emotional
support animals or cer-
tificates, identifications,
tags, vests, leashes and
harnesses for emotional
support animals that the
animal is not a service
animal.
Red Hill
SB 2407, SD 1
Requires underground
storage tank permit
applicants to submit
contingency plans for
worst-case scenarios.
SB 2601, SD 1
Requires applications
for underground storage
tank permits to be
accompanied by plans,
specifications and other
information. Removes
automatic grant of
permits for underground
storage tanks. Requires
the health director to
modify, suspend or
revoke a permit if there is
a violation of the permit,
the permit was obtained
by misrepresentation or
if there was a release of
regulated substances.
HB 2316
Establishes within the
Department of Health a
temporary Red Hill Bulk
Fuel Storage Facility
Defueling Commission
to monitor compliance
of the U.S. Department
of Defense or other
agencies with any orders
or laws relating to the
Red Hill facility or DOD
infrastructure involved in
the 2021 drinking water
contamination.
HB 2031, HB 2030
Would require the
Department of Health to
adopt rules for under-
ground storage tanks
and tank systems that are
more stringent than fed-
eral underground storage
tank regulations.
Landfill buffer zone
SB 2769, HB 2398
Reduces the landfill buf-
fer zone to a quarter-mile
from a half-mile.
Waste facilities
HB 1968, HD 1
Prohibits the construc-
tion, modification or
expansion of any waste
or disposal facility on
land near or above a
significant aquifer.
HOMELESSNESS
ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING
PASSING PASSING
Offshore wind farms Aloha homes
SB 2535, SD 2 SB 3261, SD 2
Prohibits development of Establishes the Aloha
any ocean-based wind homes program to de-
turbines within an unspec- velop low-cost homes on
ified number of miles off state- and county-­owned
any main Hawaiian Island. land in urban redevelop-
ment sites to be sold in
Pupukea protection leasehold by the Hawaii
SB 3330, SD 1
Housing Finance and
Would assess the carrying Development Corp. to
capacity of resources qualified residents.
in the existing Pupukea
Marine Life Conservation Discrimination
District and establish a SB 206, SD 2
three-year pilot program Prohibits discrimination,
potentially reducing including in advertise-
access through measures ments for available real
that could include clo- property, based on
sures and fees to protect participation in a housing
sensitive marine areas like assistance program or
the Kapoo Tidepools and requirements related to
Sharks Cove within the participation in housing
100-acre marine reserve assistance programs, in
area. The pilot program is real estate transactions
intended to lead to long- and requirements.
term management options.
Landlord incentives
Aquatic life HB 1752, HD 3
HB 1653, HD 2 Establishes the housing
Establishes criminal fines choice voucher landlord
and potential community incentive program for
service for taking, injuring incentives for landlords
or killing protected who participate in the
aquatic life. tenant-based assistance
housing choice voucher
Conservation program under Section
SB 2659, SD 1
8 of the U.S. Housing
Would add 20 staff
Act of 1937.
positions and funding for
Kupuna housing
equipment within the state
Department of Land and SB 2677, SD 1
Natural Resources’ Divi- Establishes a long-term
sion of Conservation and rental assistance pilot
Resources Enforcement. program to be admin-
istered by the Hawaii
Oceanfront sandbags Public Housing Authority
HB 2229, HD 1
for people 62 years or
Would fund a University older who are homeless
of Hawaii study on the or at imminent risk of
impact of sandbag
becoming homeless.
embankments — or “sand
burritos” — on sand Medical respite
movement patterns, HB 1797, HD 1
coastal erosion, beach Establishes a three-
access, coastal water year medical respite
quality and recreation pilot program within the
at Ehukai Beach Park, Department of Human
including from the shore- Services to provide
line area near Ke Iki roadoutpatient health care
to Sunset Beach. and supportive services
to homeless people
Drone fishing
recently discharged from
SB 2065, SD 2
the hospital and non-
Would prohibit the
hospitalized homeless
possession or use of un- people who are being
manned aerial vehicles in moved by police out of
state waters for purposes unauthorized spaces.
of fishing.
LGBTQ+
Cesspools SB 2207, SD 1
HB 1806, HD 2
Adds a representative of
Requires cesspools be
an LGBTQ+-focused or-
upgraded or converted
ganization to be included
to a wastewater system
as a member on the Ha-
approved by the state
waii Interagency Council
Department of Health be-
on Homelessness.
fore Jan. 1, 2050, absent
an exemption. Homeless youth
SB 3235, SD 1
FAILING
Establishes the Safe
Spaces for Youth
Bidets
HB 1906 pilot program within the
Would fund replacement Department of Human
of traditional toilets at the Services. Requires
state Capitol with bidets DHS to contract with
to reduce the use of toilet nonprofit organizations
to provide shelters for
paper and water.
homeless youth.
Feral cats
FAILING
HB 1987
Would require DLNR to Kakaako Makai
conduct a point-in-time SB 3279
count of feral cats per
Allows raising building
island by June 2023 height limits for two of
and require the Invasive six parcels owned by the
Species Council to
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
develop and implement in the Kakaako Makai
a program to effectively area to 400 feet; lifts the
reduce the feral cat current restriction against
population by 2025. residential development
in Kakaako Makai to
Feral chickens
allow residential develop-
HB 1095
ment by OHA.
Would appropriate
money to eradicate feral Kauhale housing
chickens in state parks. SB 3018, SD 1; HB 1990
Requires the Hawaii
Sunscreen
HB 1519, HD 1; SB 3001, Public Housing Authority
to establish the kauhale
SD 1
program to provide
Would prohibit the sale
individual or shared
or distribution of any
microhousing units and
sunscreen with active
services to homeless
ingredients not generally people and families.
recognized as safe and
effective by the federal Vessel housing
Food and Drug Adminis- SB 2058
tration, absent a medical
Prohibits the use of
prescription.
vessels as the principal
Disposable utensils habitation of any person
SB 2848; HB 1643, HD 1 at all state small-boat
harbors.
Would prohibit food sell-
ers from giving custom- Renter
ers disposable service discrimination
ware such as utensils SB 2468
and straws absent a
Allows counties to
request or prompting.
prohibit discrimination
Land conservation against renters based on
their source of income.
HB 2041, HD 1; SB 2351,
SD 1
Sex trafficking
Would boost the max- shelter
imum amount of state SB 2561, SD 1; HB 1700, HD 1
conveyance tax revenue Authorizes the Depart-
distributed to the state’s
ment of Human Services
land conservation fund to establish or contract
to $8 million if that is less
with a victim service
than 10% of conveyance
provider to operate an
tax collections; also would
emergency shelter for
increase how much of
sex trafficking victims.
the fund can be used for
maintenance and man- Aloha Stadium
agement costs for land HB 2018
acquired by the fund. Requires development
of a plan to build
affordable housing at the
Aloha Stadium site.