HB 309 Hawaii House · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO FISHPONDS.

Summary

Establishes a fishpond inventory working group within the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to create an inventory and map of all fishponds on state land and conduct a literature review. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Last action Apr 17, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB309_HD1 → HB309_SD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised from the House draft (HD1) to the Senate draft (SD1), primarily updating administrative metadata, correcting Hawaiian language diacritics, and adjusting the effective date of the law from the year 3000 to 2050. These changes ensure the legislation uses standard orthography and sets a realistic timeline for the creation of a fishpond inventory.

Scope change

The substantive scope of the bill remains unchanged; it still establishes a working group to inventory fishponds on state land. The only significant policy shift is the correction of the effective date from the distant future (3000) to a specific future date (2050).

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 3000, to July 1, 2050, making the law operative in a realistic timeframe.

TECHNICAL

Hawaiian language diacritics were standardized throughout the text, changing 'iʻa' and 'kiaʻi' to 'i`a' and 'kia`i' to align with standard orthography.

Administrative metadata, including author names, bill numbers, and revision identifiers, were updated to reflect the Senate version of the bill.

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 17, 2026

Committee

Re-Referred to WLA/EDU, WAM.

upper

Apr 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Monday, 04-21-25 10:00AM in conference room 229.

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Amended

House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Introduced

Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 618) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-04-25 10:46AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to WAM.

upper

Mar 21, 2025

Committee

Reported from WTL/HRE (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1281) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to WAM.

upper

Mar 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HRE recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HRE were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.

upper

Mar 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WTL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL/HRE has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 3:15PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Re-Referred to WTL/HRE, WAM.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to HRE/WTL, WAM.

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 210).

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.

lower

Feb 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hussey, Ward.

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran, Kila, Ward excused (4).

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Reported from HED (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 294), recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on HED recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Garrett, Amato, Evslin, Kapela, Kila, La Chica, Olds, Sayama, Woodson, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Committee

Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 16) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to HED.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to WAL, HED, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

16 primary · 0 co-sponsors