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MeasureSubjectMeasure TitleDescriptionNext HearingAnalysisTalking PointsStatusReferralNotesIntroducer(s)Companion
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HB1737 HD3 SD2RELATING TO FARM EMPLOYEE HOUSING.
Agriculture; Agricultural Districts; Zoning; Farm Dwelling; Accessory Employee HousingClarifying the allowable uses within the agricultural district with respect to farm dwellings and farm employee housing. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)(H ) 4/24/2026 - Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Monday, 04-27-26 10:20AM in conference room 224.HD3: The first major change is how “farm dwelling” is defined. Earlier drafts limited it to a single-family dwelling. HD3 removes the phrase “single-family.” The definition now says a “residential dwelling located on and accessory to a farm.”

"Farm Employee Housing" is one or more residential units, accessory to the farm operation, attached or detached from the main farm dwelling, each unit capped at 800 square feet

HD3 modifies subsection (c) so that lands with lower productivity soils (C, D, E, or U) can also use the farm dwelling and employee housing provisions.

This is significant because many agricultural parcels—especially on Hawaii Island—are in these lower soil productivity classes. Earlier interpretations sometimes limited farm dwelling allowances primarily to higher-quality agricultural land.
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This bill clarifies what types of housing are permitted on land zoned for agriculture. Specifically, it confirms that a farm dwelling may consist of a single-family residence plus an accessory employee housing structure on the same farm, as long as certain conditions are met.

The accessory employee housing may include multiple dwelling units, can be attached or detached from the main farm dwelling, and is capped at 800 square feet per unit. The housing must remain accessory to bona fide agricultural use, cannot be converted into condominiums, and cannot be used for agricultural tourism or short-term visitor accommodations. The bill also limits how much land can be used for the dwelling and related structures relative to the acreage actively farmed.

In addition, the bill maintains existing agricultural district rules by soil classification and clarifies that lands with lower productivity ratings (Class C, D, E, or U) remain limited to farm dwellings and uses allowed under existing law.

Overall, the measure is intended to support agricultural operations by allowing practical on-site housing for farm workers, while preventing misuse of agricultural land for non-farm residential or visitor purposes.		HIMAST supports clearly defined agricultural housing that serves bona fide farm operations - and strongly supports the preservation of lawful, permitted short-term rentals where authorized by county and state law. BECAUSE Housing workers on-site is often essential to keeping farms economically viable in Hawaiʻi, clear authorization for accessory employee housing helps reduce labor shortages, transportation barriers, and operating costs while keeping agricultural land in active use.These are two distinct uses and should not be conflated.

Accessory employee housing must remain dedicated to supporting agriculture, not used as a proxy battleground against STRs. This bill appropriately clarifies that employee housing is for workers, not visitors. That clarity protects both farm operations and lawful STRs by preventing misuse that invites backlash and overbroad enforcement. BECAUSE blurring the line between worker housing and tourism undermines land-use planning and creates enforcement challenges, strong guardrails are essential to prevent unintended use as visitor accommodations. Explicit prohibitions on agricultural tourism or short-term rentals protect zoning integrity and reduce enforcement ambiguity. HIMAST supports clear separation so that lawful STRs — including farm-based stays authorized under other laws — are not jeopardized by misuse or mislabeling.

Clear standards benefit counties and compliant property owners alike. Defined size limits, land-area ratios, and ownership restrictions reduce disputes and inconsistent interpretation at the county level. BECAUSE reducing ambiguity, inconsistent interpretation, and retroactive enforcement risk provides predictability for farmers investing in housing and help counties apply rules fairly and consistently.

While consistent enforcement across counties is important, HIMAST urges that HB1737 not be interpreted or applied in a way that expands beyond employee housing or is later cited to restrict lawful, county-approved STRs elsewhere in statute or ordinance.		(H ) 4/14/2026 - Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 615) in amended form (SD 2).(S ) 4/9/2026 - The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused : none.
(S ) 3/30/2026 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.
(S ) 3/18/2026 - The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
(S ) 3/12/2026 - Referred to AEN/HOU, JDC.
(H ) 3/10/2026 - Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
(H) 03/04/2026 -The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
(H ) 2/20/2026 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Perruso voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
(H ) 2/18/2026 - The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Lowen, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Perruso; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
(H ) 2/13/2026 - Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-18-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
(H ) 2/11/2026 - Reported from HSG/WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 179-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to AGR.
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Belatti, Iwamoto, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama, Woodson.		AEN/HOU, JDCEVSLIN, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SHIMIZU, SOUZA, TARNAS, TODD, AmatoSB2006
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SB2031 SD2 HD1RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.Consumer Protection; Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices; Live-Event Tickets; Short-Term Lodging; Disclosures; Total Price; Junk FeesMakes it an unfair or deceptive act or practice for businesses to: offer, display, or advertise the price of live-ticket events or short-term lodging without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; and misrepresent any fees or charges in any offer, display, or advertisement for the sale of live-event tickets or short-term lodging. (SD1)(H ) 4/24/2026 - Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Monday, 04-27-26 3:15PM in conference room 224.This bill makes it illegal for any business selling live-event tickets or short-term lodging (including STRs and vacation rentals) to:
Advertise a price without showing the total cost up front
Hide or misrepresent mandatory fees
This means that if you list a nightly rate, you must clearly display the full price (room rate + mandatory fees) before checkout, and do so more prominently than any other pricing info.
The legislature is targeting what they call “drip pricing”, which they associate with hotels, live event ticketing platforms, and vacation rentals. The bill is modeled after recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules on junk fees.		S.D.2 tightens the price-disclosure rule, clarifies definitions, and aligns more closely with the FTC junk-fee rule. It does not fundamentally change the bill’s goal but it expands the operational compliance requirements, especially for online listings and booking platforms.(H ) 4/14/2026 - Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
(H ) 4/9/2026 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran excus
ed (1).(H ) 3/31/2026 - The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Ilagan, Iwamoto, Kong, Marten, Tam, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama, Lowen.
(H ) 3/12/2026 - Referred to CPC, referral sheet 17
(S ) 2/26/2026 - The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, McKelvey, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lamosao.
(S ) 2/20/2026 - The committee(s) on CPN will hold a public decision making on 02-26-26 9:45AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.(S ) 2/12/2026 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN.
(S ) 2/3/2026 - The committee(s) on EDT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDT were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) DeCoite, Wakai, Fukunaga, Kim, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
(S ) 1/22/2026 - Referred to EDT, CPN.
(S ) 1/14/2026 - Pending Introduction.		CPCKEOHOKALOLE, CHANG, FUKUNAGA, KIDANI, MCKELVEY, MORIWAKI, SAN BUENAVENTURA, Hashimoto, Kanuha
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HB1960 HD2 SD1RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.AG; DLIR; Human Trafficking Awareness; Transient Accommodations Sector; Training; Signage; Reporting; Penalties; RulesRequires the Department of the Attorney General to develop a Human Trafficking Awareness Training Program to educate and train workers in the transient accommodations sector. Requires transient accommodations employers or transient accommodations third-party contractors to periodically provide the human trafficking awareness training to certain employees and contract workers, keep records of the training, post signage, and develop and implement a human trafficking prevention policy that includes procedures for the reporting of suspected human trafficking. Establishes penalties. Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to adopt rules. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)H.D. 2 does not make substantive changes
H.D. 1 shifts the bill from an open-ended mandate to a more structured, standardized compliance framework.

1. Training is now centralized and standardized.
Earlier versions contemplated broader or less-defined training obligations. H.D. 1 now requires the Attorney General to develop a single, statewide training program, with the option for employers or contractors to use alternative programs only if approved by the AG and meeting the same standards. This reduces uncertainty about what qualifies as “adequate” training.

2. Clear timelines replace vague expectations.
H.D. 1 establishes firm compliance dates:

Training development by July 1, 2027

Employer compliance beginning July 1, 2027

Training within 180 days of hire/placement and every two years thereafter
This replaces earlier ambiguity and allows operators time to plan and budget.

3. Scope is clarified to employees and contractors with guest access.
The revised bill limits training and obligations to employees and contract workers who have guest contact or access to guest rooms, rather than all personnel. This narrows applicability and better aligns with risk exposure.

4. Liability protection is expressly added.
H.D. 1 includes an explicit good-faith immunity provision, protecting employers, contractors, and workers from civil or criminal liability when they comply or report suspected trafficking—unless they knowingly assist in trafficking. This protection was absent or unclear before.

5. Compliance obligations are more detailed—and more expansive.
While clearer, H.D. 1 also adds explicit operational requirements that were not always fully specified before:

Mandatory recordkeeping subject to inspection

Required workplace signage in multiple languages

A written trafficking prevention and reporting policy

Civil fines with per-day violations

6. Rulemaking authority is clarified.
Implementation authority is now clearly placed with the Department of Law Enforcement, in consultation with the Attorney General, replacing earlier uncertainty about which agency would administer and enforce the program.		HD2 Did not make substantive changes
H.B. 1960 (HD1) shows meaningful improvement, but compliance impacts remain.

The revised bill improves consistency and due process.
HIMAST appreciates that H.D. 1 centralizes training under the Attorney General and limits “illegal” exposure by clearly defining who must be trained and what compliance requires. Standardized training and explicit good-faith liability protections are meaningful improvements over earlier drafts.

The scope is clearer, but still broad for small operators.
While H.D. 1 narrows training to workers with guest contact or room access and clarifies timelines, the bill still applies uniformly across the transient accommodations sector, including small and owner-operated rentals that do not resemble hotels in staffing or operations.

Third-party contractor inclusion raises practical questions.
Explicitly applying requirements to staffing agencies improves accountability, but operators may still face recordkeeping and enforcement exposure for contractors they do not directly control. Clear guidance is needed to avoid duplicative or conflicting compliance obligations.

Penalties remain tied to administrative compliance.
Although enforcement is now more defined, fines may still be imposed for paperwork, signage, or timing failures rather than actual trafficking activity. HIMAST urges an enforcement approach that prioritizes education and correction before penalties.		(S ) 4/20/2026 - Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).
(S ) 4/16/2026 - Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 599).(S ) 4/9/2026 - One Day Notice 04-10-26.
(S ) 3/30/2026 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD
1) and (S ) 3/12/2026 - Referred to JDC/PSM, WAM.
(H ) 3/10/2026 - Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
(H ) 2/24/2026 - The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Garcia.
(H ) 2/20/2026 - Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 02-24-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
The committee on LAB recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Sayama, Lee, M., Garrett, Kapela, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s
) Kong.(H ) 2/17/2026 - Bill scheduled to be heard by LAB on Thursday, 02-19-26 9:30AM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
(H ) 2/10/2026 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on LAB with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
(H ) 2/9/2026 - Reported from TOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 60-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to LAB.
(H ) 2/2/2026 - Bill scheduled to be heard by TOU on Thursday, 02-05-26 9:30AM in House conference room 423 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
(H ) 1/28/2026 - Referred to TOU, LAB, JHA, referral sheet 3
(H ) 1/23/2026 - Pending introduction.		JDC/PSM, WAMTEMPLO, AMATO, BELATTI, GRANDINETTI, HARTSFIELD, HASHEM, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, LA CHICA, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TARNAS, YAMASHITA
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