The Senate Committee on Ways and Means advanced multiple House bills in a single session, voting to pass several measures either unamended or with committee amendments and to defer at least one item. Most items were routine committee dispositions; a few carried substantive amendments affecting program structure or appropriations.

Highlights

- HB159, HB244, HB280, HB316 and HB716: Committee recommended passage unamended and reported the measures to the floor.

- HB455: Passed with amendments that removed creation of a standalone Hawaii Startup Business Loan Program and instead amended appropriations to allow DBEDT to contract for startup financing and support. The amendment also disqualified businesses previously eligible for the community‑based economic development loan program from the startup program.

- HB504: Passed with amendments inserting a new appropriation section for the Hawaii Tourism Authority for two fiscal years, conditioned on HTA and its vendors entering agreements to purchase local products consistent with statutory procurement timelines. The measure retained a $20 per passenger tax for cruise ships in its current form and directs proceeds to the general fund per committee discussion.

- HB606: Passed with amendments to recognize the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ authority under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 for mercantile projects, removed certain reporting and appropriation language, and inserted a $25 million allocation for mercantile projects and $25 million for repairs and maintenance for fiscal year 2026.

- HB1295 and HB1298 (and several others including HB1378): Reported with committee amendments; some amendments adjust effective dates or funding caps and address concerns raised by the Attorney General.

- HB974: Deferred indefinitely because the House has already passed the companion measure SB1501.

Transit‑oriented program restructure (HB1007)

Committee amendments to HB1007 rename the Transit‑Oriented Development Infrastructure District program to the Transit‑Oriented Community Improvement Program, consolidate multiple district boards into a single board, add ex officio non‑voting legislative chairs, expand board membership to include DOT multimodal coordination and DBEDT community economic development representation, and add conflict‑of‑interest safeguards. The chair said the changes respond to Attorney General concerns about governance and appointments. During discussion, interim city manager Prasad Yasu (Aloha Stadium / stadium authority) said the stadium authority is the landowner and that HCDA works with the authority only as a planning consultant; members sought clarity on how HCDA and the stadium authority would coordinate if the bill advances.

Procedure and next steps

Most measures were passed out of committee and will be reported to the Senate floor. The committee recorded approvals with the chair voting aye on items moved without debate; several members recorded reservations on specific bills during roll calls. Where the committee adopted amendments, staff or the Attorney General’s office flagged conforming language changes and the committee asked sponsoring agencies to provide technical language as needed before final floor action.

Ending: Committee staff will prepare committee reports and amended language for the Senate calendar; several amended measures require follow‑up from DBEDT, HTA, DHHL and the Attorney General to finalize conforming text.