RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: GARRETT, CHUN, KILA, MIYAKE, POEPOE
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Referred to HOU, WAM/JDC.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance.

Making Affordable Rental Housing Pet-Friendly

This bill requires affordable rental housing projects that receive funding from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to allow residents to have common household pets.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to ensure that leases for affordable rental housing projects it funds include provisions allowing residents to own or maintain one or more common household pets.
Specifies that pet owners must comply with state laws, county ordinances, and reasonable conditions set by landlords to protect health, safety, and property.
Prohibits monthly fees specifically for having a pet but allows landlords to collect refundable security deposits for potential pet-related damages.
Ensures the bill does not affect existing federal or state laws requiring accommodations for individuals with disabilities who have assistance animals.

Who It Names or Affects

Residents of affordable rental housing projects in Hawaii
Landlords and property managers of affordable rental housing developments receiving funding from the HHFDC

Terms To Know

Common household pet: A domesticated animal, such as a dog or cat, that is commonly kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes.
Reasonable conditions: Rules set by landlords to ensure pets do not cause harm or damage, including policies on nuisance behaviors, leash requirements, proof of vaccination, and insurance coverage.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a resident violates the reasonable conditions.
It is unclear how this will be enforced or what penalties might apply for non-compliance by landlords.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 appears to be an error and should likely be corrected.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires affordable rental housing projects funded by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to allow residents to keep common household pets, starting July 1, 2026.

Affordable rental housing developments receiving funding from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation must permit residents to own or maintain common household pets after July 1, 2026.
The amendment specifies that pet ownership is subject to compliance with state laws, county ordinances, and reasonable conditions set by landlords.
Landlords cannot charge monthly fees for pets but can collect refundable security deposits for potential damages related to pets.

The effective date of July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and likely needs correction in the final bill text.

Bill History

2026-03-12 S
Referred to HOU, WAM/JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 248).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1060-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-04 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Kong, Lowen, Marten, Tam; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.
2026-03-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Wednesday, 03-04-26 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-19 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-19 H
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 576-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2026-02-13 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Cochran, Grandinetti, Kila, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-11 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Friday, 02-13-26 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-26 H
Referred to HSG, CPC, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-16 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HHFDC; Affordable Rental Housing; Pet Inclusive
Requires, for any affordable rental housing development project that receives financing or any financial assistance from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, that the Corporation require the housing development lease or occupancy agreement to allow residents to own or otherwise maintain one or more common household pets. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1593

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1593

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to affordable housing
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that for many Hawaii
families, companion animals are beloved members of the household and contribute
significantly to residents' emotional and physical well-being.
�
Yet, many renters, especially those in
affordable or publicly funded housing, are unable to find housing that permits
pets, forcing some to surrender or abandon animals when they move.
�
National and local shelter data show that a
lack of pet-inclusive housing is among the leading reasons that animals are
relinquished to shelters, imposing stress on families and communities.
�
The legislature further finds that these
restrictions disproportionately affect low-income households, limiting how they
can define their families and reducing overall housing stability.

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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act
is to promote pet‑inclusive affordable rental housing by requiring
affordable rental housing development projects funded by the Hawaii housing
finance and development corporation to allow residents to own or maintain
common household pets, subject to reasonable conditions that protect health,
safety, and property.

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SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to
read as follows:

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"
�201H-
�
Pet-inclusive
affordable rental housing.
�
(a)
�

For any rental housing development project that receives financing or
any financial assistance from the corporation after July 1, 2026, the
corporation shall require that the housing development's lease or occupancy
agreement authorize a resident of a dwelling unit to own or otherwise maintain
one or more common household pets within the resident's dwelling unit; provided
that the resident complies with:

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(1)
�
All applicable
state laws and county ordinances relating to public health, animal control, and
animal anti-cruelty; and

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(2)
�
Any reasonable
conditions.

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(b)
�
No
monthly fee shall be imposed on a tenant for the ownership or maintenance of a
common household pet in the housing development.
�
Nothing in this section shall prohibit a
landlord from collecting a refundable security deposit for pet-related damages,
in accordance with section 521‑44.

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(c)
�
This section shall not be construed to limit
or otherwise affect any federal or state law requiring reasonable
accommodations for an individual with a disability who maintains an assistance
animal or service animal, or emotional support animal.

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(d)
�
Nothing in this section shall alter or affect
the rights or duties of a landlord with respect to preventing harm or damage to
third parties caused by a resident's common household pet.

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(e)
�
The corporation may adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 91 to implement this section, including model lease language, pet
policy guidelines, and compliance procedures.

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(f)
�
For purposes of this section:

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"Common household pet" means a
domesticated animal, including but not limited to a dog or a cat, that is
commonly kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes.

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"Reasonable conditions" includes
but are not limited to:

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(1)
�
Policies
regarding nuisance behaviors;

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(2)
�
Leash
requirements;

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(3)
�
Proof of
vaccination or licensing;

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(4)
�
Requirements to
carry liability insurance coverage;

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(5)
�
Limitations on
the number of animals in a dwelling unit based on the unit's size; or

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(6)
�
Prohibitions on
dogs that have been designated as dangerous dogs pursuant to part III of
chapter 711.

"Reasonable conditions" does not
include a prohibition on a breed of common household pet or a limitation based
solely on the weight of the animal.
"

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SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

HHFDC;
Affordable Rental Housing; Pet Inclusive

Description:

Requires,
for any affordable rental housing development project that receives financing
or any financial assistance from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development
Corporation, that the Corporation require the housing development lease or
occupancy agreement to allow residents to own or otherwise maintain one or more
common household pets.

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