HB1278 • 2026

RELATING TO HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL.

Budget Taxes

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI, EVSLIN, GARRETT, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KITAGAWA, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, TARNAS, TODD, Poepoe
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Re-Referred to WLA, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is listed as July 1, 3000 in the official summary but this appears to be an error or placeholder and should likely be corrected.

Funding for Hazardous Tree Removal

This bill provides funding to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife to assess and remove hazardous trees on state lands in Hawaii.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates $165,000 from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to the Division of Forestry and Wildlife within the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Allocates specific amounts for each island: Kauai ($15,000), Oahu ($25,000), Maui ($50,000), and Hawaii Island ($75,000).
Requires funds to be used exclusively for assessing and removing hazardous trees on state lands.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Residents living near state forests on all Hawaiian islands

Terms To Know

Hazardous Trees: Trees that are likely to fall or break during storms, posing a risk to people and property.
Division of Forestry and Wildlife: A part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources responsible for managing forests and wildlife in Hawaii.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify criteria for identifying hazardous trees.
It is unclear if $165,000 will be sufficient to cover all hazardous tree removal needs on state lands.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allocates specific amounts of money to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife for assessing and removing hazardous trees from state lands in Hawaii.

Appropriates $165,000 or as much needed for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to the Division of Forestry and Wildlife for assessing and removing hazardous trees on state lands.

The amendment specifies an incorrect effective date (July 1, 3000) which seems unrealistic and likely contains a typographical error.
It is unclear why such a specific future date was chosen instead of the usual immediate or near-term implementation dates.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment allocates specific amounts of money from the state budget to help remove dangerous trees in forests near homes on different Hawaiian islands.

Allocates funds for assessing and removing hazardous trees on state lands across Hawaii, specifically detailing amounts for Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii island.

The exact dollar amounts for each island are not specified in the provided text.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 is likely a placeholder or error since it's far into the future.

Bill History

2026-02-02 S
Re-Referred to WLA, WAM.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-17 S
The committee(s) on WTL deleted the measure from the public hearing scheduled on 03-19-25 1:45PM; CR 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-14 S
The committee(s) on WTL will hold a public decision making on 03-19-25 1:45PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-14 S
The committee on WTL deferred the measure.
2025-03-10 S
The committee(s) on WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-14-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to WTL, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 348).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-04-25.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1157) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-24 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 14 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hussey, Ward.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-11 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 356) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-06 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama.
2025-02-04 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 02-06-25 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to WAL, FIN, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-22 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVAL.
Hazardous Trees; Assessment; Removal; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds for the assessment and removal of hazardous trees on state lands across Hawaii. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1278

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1278

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to hazardous tree removal
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that
the department of land and natural resources' division of
forestry and wildlife
oversees nearly one million acres of public land
across the State, including forest areas that abut residential property.
�
According to the 2023 State of Hawaii hazard mitigation
plan, windstorm events alone significantly contributed to downed trees, which caused
power outages, road closures, significant traffic delays, serious injuries, and
several hundred thousand dollars' worth of damage to crops and property across
the State between January 2018 and December 2021.
�
Furthermore, the hazard mitigation plan
asserts that natural habitats, such as forests, are some of the most vulnerable
to damage from natural weather events.

����
The
legislature further finds that state-owned forests adjacent to residential
areas must be maintained to protect the health and safety of communities from the
possibility of downed trees during storms, wildfires, high winds, or other
natural events, because fallen trees and branches from inadequately managed
forest areas can cause severe damage to homes, vehicles, and critical
infrastructure and endangers the lives of residents and first responders.
�
Effective monitoring and management of state
forests abutting residential areas, including routine assessments and removal
of dangerous tress, are necessary functions of the division of forestry and
wildlife.

����
Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of land and
natural resources' division of forestry and wildlife for the assessment and removal
of hazardous trees on state lands.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $165,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the division of
forestry and wildlife of the department of land and natural resources to assess
and remove hazardous trees on state lands across Hawaii; provided that the sum
shall be allocated as follows:

����
(1)
�
$15,000 for Kauai;

����
(2)
�
$25,000 for Oahu;

����
(3)
�
$50,000 for Maui; and

����
(4)
�
$75,000 for Hawaii island.

The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and
natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hazardous
Trees; Assessment; Removal; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds for the assessment and removal of hazardous trees on state lands across
Hawaii.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.