House Democrats pass several bills advancing majority priorities

The Hawaiʻi House of Representatives Majority Caucus, comprising 41 Democrats, passed several bills advancing the 2026 House Majority Caucus priorities.

“At the start of the session, we identified key priorities: expanding affordable housing, supporting Native Hawaiian families, protecting essential social services, addressing workforce shortages, strengthening the state’s revenue base responsibly, and diversifying our economy,” said House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan. “As we worked to balance the state budget, we made it a priority to protect essential social services, and we did that without cutting a single program that Hawaiʻi’s working families rely on. I’m proud to say that the House delivered on that promise.”

The following bills have either passed final reading in both legislative chambers or been funded through the state budget.

Building More Housing for Local Residents

HB1800 CD1 – Relating to the State Budget

$250 million for Rental Housing Revolving Fund, Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, homelessness, Kūpuna housing, and supportive housing.

HB1740 CD1 – Incentivize Projects with Perpetual Resident-Only Deed Restrictions 

Expands exemptions from state and local regulations for housing projects that include perpetual deed restrictions prioritizing Hawaiʻi residents, while removing duplicative ownership and screening requirements that slow transactions and limit housing mobility.

SB3219 CD1 – Help Counties to Build More Housing Infrastructure

The lack of infrastructure is one of the biggest hurdles to building more housing and keeping it affordable. This measure proposes constitutional amendments to allow counties to issue resilient infrastructure and equity bonds for specified public works, improvements, or other actions necessary for housing and community development. These bonds will help fund needed infrastructure to build more housing.

SB2552 CD1 – Relating to the Individual Housing Account Program

Saving for a down payment on a home loan continues to be a barrier for many Hawaiʻi residents; this bill increases the amount of pre-tax income that a couple can set aside in an individual housing account from $10,000 to $40,000 to help save for a down payment.

HB1737 CD1 – Relating to Farm Employee Housing

Clarifies the allowable uses within agricultural districts with respect to farm dwellings and farm employee housing.

HB1920 CD1 – Relating to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Clarifies that, for tax credits issued after July 1, 2026, a partner or member that is a partnership or limited liability company that has been allocated a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit may either further allocate the credit or transfer, sell, or assign all or a portion of the credit to any taxpayer. Extends the sunset date of Act 129, SLH 2016, relating to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, until Dec. 31, 2032.

HB1741 CD1 – Relating to Housing

Deems a county inclusionary mandate as a form of development exaction and treats the mandate as a housing affordability impact fee. Provides parameters for adopting or amending an inclusionary mandate for residential or mixed-use development.

HB1710 CD1 – Relating to Historic Preservation

Authorizes the State of Hawaiʻi Historic Preservation Division to conduct a phased review of a proposed project on private property under certain circumstances. Amends the process and deadlines by which the Division must provide written concurrence or non-concurrence for proposed projects on private property or certain projects that require state or county approval for use entitlements, after which concurrence may be assumed and the project may proceed.

Amends the conditions under which a project on an existing privately owned single-family dwelling or townhouse that is over fifty years old shall be subject to section 6E-42, HRS.

Supporting Native Hawaiians

SB903 CD1 – Funding for Native Hawaiian Programs Affected by Federal Cuts

Appropriates $55 million to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to be used solely for Native Hawaiian programs and services with critical, short-term funding needs in education, health, economic development, and community-based initiatives.

Amends the membership and responsibilities of the Public Land Trust Working Group established under Act 226, SLH 2022. Requires reports to be submitted with proposed legislation on Oct. 1, 2028.

HB2309 CD1- Relating to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920 

Amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, to include sibling’s children as qualifying relatives of lessees for the purposes of lease transfer and lease successorship, similarly allowed for spouses, children, grandchildren, and siblings.

HB2104 CD1 – Relating to Island Burial Councils 

Extends the time to fill vacancies that occur during the term of an Island Burial Council member. Provides per diem compensation in the form of a stipend for council members. Revises the quorum for business to a majority of appointed members.

Preserving the Social Safety Net

HB1518 CD1 – Relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

Requires the SNAP program to obtain a federal waiver and establish a program by January 2028 enabling inmates to apply for SNAP benefits when near release to prevent hunger-driven recidivism.

HB2310 CD1 – Emergency Appropriation to the Department of Human Services

Appropriates $16.5 million in response to the elimination of enhanced federal advance premium tax credits for plans in the federally facilitated health insurance marketplace, to maintain subsidies for residents earning 250% of the poverty line or below.

Appropriates $14,248,126 to cover amounts Department of Human Services already spent in response to the federal shutdown, specifically:

• $11,807,126 for the Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program ($250 added to SNAP EBT cards)
• $2,000,000 to the Hawaiʻi Food Bank for purchase and distribution of food,
• and $441,000 to Aloha United Way for 211 call center support.

SB2866 CD1/HB1975 – Makes the State Rent Supplement Program for Kūpuna Permanent

Provides subsidies of $500 or less to individuals 62 and older on a fixed income who cannot afford even “affordable” housing. Two new positions were established in the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority to administer the program, and $2,270,000 was appropriated to fund it.

HB1801 CD1 – Relating to Child Welfare Services

Appropriates $200,000 for training and consultation for Child Welfare Services staff with domestic violence specialists to manage child abuse and neglect cases complicated by domestic violence.

HB1962 HD2 SD1 – Relating to Family (Women’s Legislative Caucus Bill)

Exempts survivors of domestic violence from mediation with the alleged offender during parentage proceedings to resolve child custody.

Expanding Workforce Development and Retention Programs

HB1661 CD1 – Relating to Cafeteria Plans

Specifies that the maximum contribution and carryover amounts for a public service flexible spending account plan (“cafeteria plans”) are set in accordance with the annual limits set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Aligning employer-sponsored benefit arrangements with IRS-prescribed limits helps public employees offset out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses.

HB1890 CD1 – Relating to Education 

Provides annual salary step increases for public and charter school teachers after a year of satisfactory service and compliance with specified requirements, if negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement under section 89-9, HRS, and subject to Legislative funding.

Responsibly Enhancing Tax Revenue

SB3125 CD1 – Relating to Income Tax

After negotiation between the House and Senate, the final version retains all tax cuts from Act 46 (2022) for families making less than $350,000, including increases to the standard deduction, and cuts income tax rates for low-income families.

Funds the revenue shortfall by shifting the tax burden to high-income taxpayers and scaling back certain tax credits.

Diversifying and Strengthening Hawaiʻi’s Economy

SB2580 CD1 – Film Tax Credit

Amends the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit for costs incurred after Dec. 31, 2025:

• Provides additional credit to qualified productions with a workforce of at least 80% local hires.
• Requires taxpayers claiming the credit to submit independent third-party certification to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
• Increases the per-production cap to $20,000,000, excludes productions incurring at least $60,000,000 of production costs from this cap,
• Changes the aggregate cap to $60,000,000 and provides that if tax credits claimed are less than the aggregate cap, the cap increases by the unclaimed amount in subsequent years.
• Defines “streaming platform” and extends the tax credit sunset to Jan. 1, 2038.

SB2360 CD1 – Enterprise Zones

Expands the definition of “eligible business activity” for the Enterprise Zone Program to include:

• Certain retail sales of tangible property.
• Processing of certain value-added agricultural products.
• Research, development, sale, or production of all medical products and services.
• Hawaiʻi Food and Product Innovation Network activities.
• Professional services by health care professionals.
• Aerospace research and development.
• Information technology services.

SB2907 CD1 – Office of Marine Affairs

Establishes the Office of Marine Affairs and Marine Affairs Governing Board within the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation, declares the State an ocean cluster.

Creates the Marine Affairs Coordinator position, repeals Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s powers over marine affairs, and transfers functions from the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs.

HB1391 CD2 – Ireland Trade Commission

Creates the Hawaiʻi-Ireland Trade Commission within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, requiring annual reports to the Legislature and Governor until June 30, 2031.

HB2474 CD1 –  International Relations Cooperation Agreements

Allows the State to enter into nonbinding international cooperative agreements with national and international bodies relevant to state or partner interests.

Broadens the definition of sister-state or province partnerships, requiring the Hawaiʻi Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission to assess how partnerships or agreements enhance key initiatives.

HB1810 CD1 – Charitable Solicitation

Creates payment and financial reporting requirements for solicitors selling donated or collected property for charities from Jan. 1, 2027.

Requires disclosure on collection bins, compliance with payment, reporting, and contract requirements.

HB1576 CD1 – Film Tax Credit and Public Notice Notification

Mandates the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to provide public notice of productions obtaining permits or agreements for filming and income tax credits.

Offers public subscription to notices via email or postal mail, exempts land dispositions for filming from prior Board of Land and Natural Resources approval.

HB2583 CD1 – Micro Lending Program

Establishes the Hawaiʻi Micro-Lending Credit Enhancement Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to expand micro-lending by providing loan loss reserves or credit enhancement for qualified micro-loans to small businesses.

Allows for fees and state contributions to fund loan loss reserve accounts and sets up the Hawaiʻi Micro-Lending Credit Enhancement Special Fund.

HB2475 CD1 – ʻŌkolehau Labeling

ʻŌkolehao is a traditional Hawaiian distilled spirit with deep historical and cultural significance.  ʻŌkolehao traces its origins to the early contact period in Hawaiʻi and was historically produced from fermented kī (Cordyline fruticose) root, commonly known as ti plant or ti-leaf.

Sets labeling requirements for ʻŌkolehao, a traditional Hawaiian spirit, to ensure products using the name meet specific production criteria within the State.

The Hawaiʻi House of Representatives consists of 51 members who serve two-year terms. The House Majority consists of 41 Democrats for the 33rd Legislature. Follow the Hawaiʻi House Democrats on  Facebook, Instagram, or visit the House Democrats’ website.