Votes at a glance: House Finance committee actions on multiple bills, March 15

At its March 15 decision meeting, the House Committee on Finance took votes on the committee's 3:15 p.m. agenda. Below is a concise summary of the committee's recommendations, notable amendments, and recorded reservations or no votes where the transcript records them.

Key results and notable amendments (committee recommendations adopted unless noted):

- SB 1536 SD2 HD2 — Recommendation: pass unamended; recommendation adopted. - SB 121 (constitutional amendment) — Recommendation: pass unamended; recorded a reservation by Representative Perez Ora expressing concern about extended judicial vacancies; recommendation adopted. - SB 1202 — Recommendation: pass unamended (codifies campaign spending commission guidance); recommendation adopted. - SB 336 — Recommendation: pass with technical amendment (defect effective date to 07/01/3000); recommendation adopted. - SB 1469 SD2 HD1 (taxation statute of limitations) — Recommendation: pass with amendments (defect effective date to 07/01/3000); Representative Lamasson questioned examples during testimony; recommendation adopted. - SB 222 SD2 HD1 — Recommendation: pass with amendments (defect effective date to 07/01/3000); recommendation adopted. - SB 227 SD1 HD1 — Recommendation: pass with amendments (blank out FTE, defect effective date to 07/01/3000); recommendation adopted. - SB 825 SD2 HD2 (pre-eviction mediation) — Recommendation: pass unamended; reservations noted (Representative Reyes Oda) and recorded no votes (Representative Lee, Representative Alcos); recommendation adopted. - SB 1367 SD1 HD1 — Recommendation: pass unamended; recommendation adopted. - SB 1048 SD2 HD1 (charitable fundraising platform/regulation) — Recommendation: pass with amendments (defect effective date to 07/01/3000, technical edits); recommendation adopted. - SB 1044 SD2 HD1 (Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund) — Recommendation: pass with committee amendments (committee inserted $50M reimbursable GO bond authority for FY2026 only, required HHRF to draw on HSSR funds first, technical amendments); recommendation adopted. - SB 1318 — Recommendation: pass with technical amendments (defect effective date to 07/01/3000); recommendation adopted. - SB 589 SD1 HD2 (distributed energy resources / intragovernmental wheeling) — Recommendation: pass with amendments; several members asked to defer to PUC docket analysis; recorded no vote from Representative Reyes Oda; recommendation adopted. - SB 1500 SD2 HD1 — Recommendation: pass unamended; recommendation adopted. - SB 1501 SD2 HD1 — Recommendation: pass unamended; recommendation adopted. - SB 897 SD3 HD2 (wildfire liability / securitization) — Recommendation: pass unamended; reservations recorded for Representative Reyes Oda and Representative Alcos; recommendation adopted.

Recorded procedural notes: the committee frequently amended effective dates to 07/01/3000 (a drafting convention used in committee to defer/detect effective date for final action) and made technical edits on multiple measures. Several items were advanced with clarifying technical amendments or fiscal-stage adjustments to be resolved in conference committees.

How the committee handled reservations and no votes: The transcript records several members noting reservations on particular bills; for example Representative Perez Ora recorded a reservation on judicial-appointment timing for SB 121, and Representative Reyes Oda recorded reservations on several energy/wildfire items and cast no votes on some items. Where the transcript recorded an explicit "no" on the roll call, the committee chair noted it in the decision record. The committee nevertheless adopted recommendations by majority vote on the listed items.

What’s next: Measures recommended to pass will move to the next legislative steps and, where the committee inserted technical or fiscal amendments, those items will be resolved in the conference committee process or subsequent floor action.

Source: House Committee on Finance hearing and decision-making transcript, March 15.