Budget & Taxes

passed · Hawaii · Senate Feb 20, 2026

SB 3288: RELATING TO THE COUNTRY CLUB APARTMENT BUILDING, HILO, HAWAII.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to demolish and remove the Country Club Apartment Building and related structures and utilities located at 121 Banyan Drive, Hilo, Hawaii, on the parcel designated as tax map key: (3) 2-1-005:020. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates state funds for DLNR demolition project, directly involving budget allocation and government spending as per Budget & Taxes topic.95% confidence

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 2790: RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for contracted services for the assessment and inventory of the Molokai Irrigation System.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates funds to DHHL for Molokai irrigation assessment, directly funding a specific program under budget allocation.95% confidence

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Feb 20, 2026

SB 2905: RELATING TO ENERGY.

Increases the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax and the amount collected from the tax that is deposited into the Electric Vehicle Charging System Subaccount. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax revenue specifically for funding an electric vehicle charging system subaccount, directly advancing fiscal allocation for infrastructure.90% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill increases tax revenue specifically for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, directly funding clean energy infrastructure development.92% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentIncreases tax to fund EV charging infrastructure, promoting clean energy adoption and reducing emissions through dedicated subaccount funding.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationFunds electric vehicle charging infrastructure via dedicated tax revenue, directly advancing sustainable transportation infrastructure as a core component of transportation policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Electric Vehicles Electric Vehicles Transportation Funding

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in committee · Hawaii · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SB 634: RELATING TO MARINE PASSENGER FEES.

Establishes a cruise ship passenger fee to be collected beginning 1/1/2026 by the Department of Transportation to be used for infrastructure projects benefiting cruise ships with an emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Establishes the Cruise Ship Passenger Fee Special Fund. Appropriates funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new cruise passenger fee to fund climate infrastructure, directly appropriating revenue for budget allocation and fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly allocates funds for climate change mitigation/adaptation infrastructure projects through the Cruise Ship Passenger Fee Special Fund.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill establishes DOT-collected fee funding cruise ship infrastructure projects with climate focus, directly appropriating funds for transportation infrastructure as specified in subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Climate Change Ports Transportation Funding

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate May 1, 2026

SB 2919: RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER.

SB 2919 appropriates funds to hire one full-time equivalent Deputy Public Defender III position within the Office of the Public Defender. This bill directly affects the Office of the Public Defender by providing dedicated staffing resources for their operations. The key provision is the allocation of state funds specifically for this new staff role, which would support the office's capacity to represent indigent defendants in court. The bill does not create new legal requirements or change existing laws, focusing solely on budgetary support for personnel.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates state funds to hire a public defender position, directly funding a public service essential to legal representation for indigent defendants.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds additional public defender staffing to improve representation for indigent defendants, strengthening public defense capacity within criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement

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in committee · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1599: RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Requires the Director of Human Resources Development to abolish vacant positions within state departments and agencies under its jurisdiction that have been vacant for more than five years. Requires a list of positions abolished to be included in the Director's annual report to the Legislature. Requires funds for abolished positions to immediately lapse to the credit of the general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill directs funds from abolished vacant positions to general fund, promoting fiscal responsibility by eliminating unused budget allocations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate Mar 20, 2026

SB 125: RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES.

Amends the definition of "eligible business activity" for State Enterprise Zone Program purposes to include retail sales of tangible personal property manufactured and sold in the enterprise zone to the final consumer, the processing of value-added agricultural products grown within an enterprise zone, the provision of professional services by health care professionals in health-care-related sectors, the use of advanced manufacturing to produce products, or the development of cybersecurity technology. Extends the eligibility period of the state business tax credit and general excise tax exemption for qualified businesses within state enterprise zones from 7 years to 9 years. Extends the eligibility period of the general excise tax exemption for qualified businesses within state enterprise zones engaged in the manufacturing of tangible personal property or the producing or processing of agricultural products from 10 years to 12 years. Makes the extension of the state business tax credit eligibility period applicable to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. Makes the extension of the general excise tax exemption eligibility period take effect on 1/1/2027. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands tax incentives for eligible business activities in enterprise zones, including manufacturing and cybersecurity.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly includes 'development of cybersecurity technology' as an eligible business activity for tax incentives, directly advancing cybersecurity within the technology topic.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Sales Tax Tax Incentives Cybersecurity Tags Economic Development

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passed both · Hawaii · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 3254: RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET.

Appropriates funds to be expended by the Department of Health as a grant for the Hawaii Primary Care Association to support solar-plus-storage microgrid implementation at community health centers in medically underserved communities, and provide programmatic services, project management, contract management, reporting and fiscal stewardship responsibilities, and developing future scalable plans for the development and deployment of solar-plus-storage microgrids at nonprofit community health centers. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates state budget funds for solar microgrids at community health centers, directly funding a public service program through grant allocation.95% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyFunds solar-plus-storage microgrids at health centers, directly investing in renewable energy infrastructure for underserved communities.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAppropriates funds to community health centers in medically underserved areas via grant, improving infrastructure access and operational capacity for healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Energy Resilience Solar Primary Care

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passed · Hawaii · House Mar 12, 2026

HB 2148: RELATING TO THE ESTATE AND GENERATION-SKIPPING TRANSFER TAX.

Establishes an unrealized gains surcharge on certain property transfers subject to the estate and generation-skipping transfer tax. Except for certain types of properties within estates, lowers the applicable exclusion amount allowed. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes unrealized gains surcharge and lowers exclusion on estate taxes, increasing revenue from high-value transfers per bill's explicit tax modifications.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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in committee · Hawaii · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2269: RELATING TO THE MOTION PICTURE, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND FILM PRODUCTION INCOME TAX CREDIT.

Increases the qualified production credit from twenty-two per cent to twenty-seven per cent in any county of the State with a population of over seven hundred thousand and twenty-seven per cent to thirty-two per cent in any county of the State with a population of less than seven hundred thousand. Lifts the per production cap of $17,000,000 for productions with qualified expenditures of $60,000,000 per project. Increases the annual cap to $60,000,000 from $50,000,000 for the total amount of the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit allowed under section 235-17, HRS, and extends the sunset date of the tax credit to January 1, 2038. Clarifies and amends the requirement for an independent third-party certification and expands the definition of "qualified production" to include streaming platforms for the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit. Includes a definition of "streaming platform".

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesIncreases film production tax credits, reducing state revenue through expanded tax breaks for businesses rather than strengthening tax collection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits

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