SB 2378 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO HOUSING.

SB 2378 clarifies insurance requirements for single-family and multi-family housing projects to enable faster county permitting. Developers would need to meet specific, clear insurance standards to qualify for expedited review of construction permits. The bill directly affects housing developers and builders seeking quicker approvals for new projects or renovations. It replaces vague insurance rules with defined requirements to streamline the permitting process.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2026 Last action Mar 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB2378_SD1 → SB2378_SD2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands its scope to include inspections for expedited permit projects, requiring state and county inspectors to visit all such sites. It also updates the effective date to July 1, 2050, and clarifies that construction must comply with specific land use and development requirements. The changes aim to ensure safety and regulatory compliance for faster permitting processes.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly applies inspection requirements to all projects with expedited permits, whereas the previous version focused primarily on insurance requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for state and county inspectors to inspect all projects with expedited permits.

Added specific compliance requirements for construction plans, including land use, setbacks, height, and site development.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the Act from immediate approval to July 1, 2050.

SCOPE

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect the new inspection provisions alongside insurance requirements.

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

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred to HSG, WAL, CPC, referral sheet 17

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 222) in amended form (SD 2).

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, Lamosao, McKelvey, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee on CPN has added the measure to decision making scheduled on 03-04-26 9:30AM; CR 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN deleted the measure from the public hearing scheduled on 03-04-26 9:35AM; CR 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on CPN added the measure to the public hearing scheduled on 03-04-26 9:35AM; CR 229 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN.

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

Reported from HOU/EIG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2459) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN.

upper

Feb 5, 2026

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, Elefante, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang, Richards; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite, Fevella.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU/EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 02-05-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to HOU/EIG, CPN .

upper

Jan 21, 2026

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 16, 2026

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors