SB 70 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Summary

Requires eligible applicants of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to be either governmental agencies or organizations that are required to use all financial surplus, excluding fees, to develop additional housing in the State. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB70 → SB70_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated from a House version to a Senate version, changing the metadata and formatting while adding a new legislative finding about the expiration of affordable housing units. The core policy change modifies the eligibility criteria for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund by requiring organizations to use their financial surplus, excluding fees, to build more housing. This clarification ensures that administrative fees are not counted as surplus that must be reinvested in housing development.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, but the applicability of the surplus requirement was narrowed to exclude fees paid to organizations.

REQUIREMENT

Added a legislative finding stating that approximately 15,000 affordable housing units will lose their affordability restrictions by 2100, citing Kukui Gardens as an example of lost value.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the requirement for eligible applicants to use financial surplus to develop housing by adding the exclusion of fees paid to the organizations.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill metadata, including the bill number, revision numbers, dates, and language settings from English to Japanese.

Renumbered the statutory sections, shifting the repealer and effective date sections from 2 and 3 to 3 and 4 respectively.

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

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Reported from HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 7) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Jan 28, 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, Aquino, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Hashimoto ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 01-28-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to HOU, WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

3 primary · 2 co-sponsors