SB 79 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.

Summary

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine the effect of any proposed state or county housing projects that may affect a historical property, an aviation artifact, or a burial site within ninety days of a request for determination. Establishes historic review requirements based on the project area's known historic, cultural, and archaeological resources. Establishes procedures and notification requirements if previously unidentified human remains or previously unidentified historic property are discovered. (CD1)

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Jul 2025

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Signed Jul 9, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB79_HD2 → SB79_SD1 · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a new historic preservation review process for state and county housing projects in Hawaii. It requires agencies to obtain departmental approval before starting projects that could affect historic properties, aviation artifacts, or burial sites. The bill also sets specific procedures for handling discoveries of human remains or unidentified historic properties during construction.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope to explicitly include aviation artifacts and burial sites alongside historic properties, and clarifies that it applies to projects developed by, financed by, or situated on land owned by the State or counties.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for agencies to obtain departmental determination before commencing housing projects affecting historic properties, aviation artifacts, or burial sites

Established three sensitivity levels (highly, moderately, and nominally sensitive areas) with different review requirements based on known resource density

Added specific procedures for stopping work and protecting areas if previously unidentified human remains are discovered

Added requirement to notify state historic preservation division within 48 hours if unidentified historic properties are discovered during construction

Added requirement for agencies to submit mitigation reports to the state historic preservation division after completing avoidance and mitigation measures

Added requirement for agencies to make reasonable efforts to avoid or minimize adverse effects on significant historic properties, with specific mitigation options listed

TIMELINE

Set a 90-day deadline for the department to provide written determination on project requests

DEFINITION

Added explicit definition of 'housing project' to include projects developed by, financed by, or situated on land owned by the State or counties

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto, Poepoe voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 22) as amended in (CD 1).

lower

Apr 24, 2025

Introduced

48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-25.

upper

Apr 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 22).

upper

Apr 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Hashem, Tarnas, Miyake; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Muraoka.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 6 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Chang, Richards, Gabbard, Elefante, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Apr 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-22-25 10:45AM; Conference Room 229.

upper

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to HSG, WAL, JHA, referral sheet {refsheetno}

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 567).

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Mar 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Todd, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Perruso, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.

lower

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1434) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, La Chica, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Pierick.

lower

Mar 14, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to HSG, JHA, referral sheet 23

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, HSG, JHA, referral sheet 19

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 77) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-20-25 10:01AM; CR 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from WTL/HOU/HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 534) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

upper

Feb 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, San Buenaventura, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara, Keohokalole.

upper

Feb 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Aquino, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Feb 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, McKelvey, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL/HOU/HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-07-25 1:13PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to WTL/HOU/HWN, JDC.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors