HB 1567 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO ENERGY EQUITY.

Summary

Allows the Public Utilities Commission to establish a lifeline baseline performance standard and medically essential needs energy program based on proposals from electric utilities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2026 Last action Feb 10, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB1567 → HB1567_HD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten to shift from a mandate requiring the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to create specific rate structures and programs to a more flexible approach where the PUC may establish these programs based on proposals from electric utilities. This change reduces regulatory rigidity and gives utilities more control over the design of the lifeline baseline and medical essential needs program, while also moving the bill's effective date to a distant future of July 1, 3000.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from requiring specific actions (creating tariffs, holding stakeholder meetings) to allowing the PUC to act only if utilities propose such actions. The applicability of the new rules is now contingent on utility proposals rather than being a direct legislative mandate.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the PUC's role from being required to establish rate structures and programs to having the discretion to establish them based on electric utility proposals.

Deleted the requirement for the PUC to convene a stakeholder process involving consumer advocates, health organizations, and disability rights groups.

Removed specific mandates for rising block tariffs or time-varying rates, replacing them with a general goal of supporting energy equity and climate resilience.

TIMELINE

Removed the requirement for electric utilities to file revised tariffs within twelve months and replaced the effective date with July 1, 3000.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 80-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.

lower

Jan 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to EEP, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 16, 2026

Introduced

Prefiled.

lower

11 primary · 0 co-sponsors