HB1739 • 2026

RELATING TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.

Land

Active

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

Sponsor: EVSLIN, AMATO, BELATTI, ILAGAN, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SHIMIZU, SOUZA, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: The committee on HOU deferred the measure.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on how the effective date of July 1, 3000 will be addressed or if it is a typographical error.

Rules for Transit-Oriented Development Areas

This bill requires counties to allow higher density development in areas designated as transit-oriented development zones and prevents them from creating rules that restrict such development.

What This Bill Does

Requires the development of transit-supportive densities, meaning building more homes or businesses closer together, to be allowed in any county-designated transit-oriented development zone.
Prohibits counties from enacting ordinances, rules, regulations, development standards, zoning provisions, or other land use controls that restrict the development of transit-supportive densities.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties in Hawaii
Developers who want to build more densely near public transportation

Terms To Know

Transit-oriented development zone: An area designated by a county where higher density building is encouraged and supported, usually close to public transportation.
Transit-supportive densities: Building more homes or businesses closer together in areas near public transportation to encourage the use of transit systems.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a county fails to designate any areas as transit-oriented development zones.
It is unclear how this will affect existing zoning laws and regulations that might already allow or restrict higher density development in certain areas.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 seems unrealistic and likely indicates an error.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows development at transit-supportive densities in designated areas without restrictions from county rules.

Allows counties to designate specific areas as transit-oriented development zones where higher density developments are permitted.
Prohibits counties from creating or enforcing any rule that limits the development of these high-density projects within the designated zones.
Makes existing inconsistent county regulations void and ineffective.

The amendment specifies an effective date far in the future (July 1, 3000), which is unusual and may indicate a placeholder or error.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment allows development at transit-supportive densities in designated areas without restrictions from county rules.

Allows counties to designate specific areas as transit-oriented development zones where higher density developments are permitted.
Prohibits counties from creating or enforcing any rule that limits the development of these high-density projects within the designated zones.
Makes existing inconsistent county regulations void and unenforceable.

The amendment specifies an effective date far in the future (July 1, 3000), which is unusual and may indicate a placeholder or error.

Bill History

2026-03-19 S
The committee on HOU deferred the measure.
2026-03-19 S
The committee on EIG deferred the measure.
2026-03-19 S
The committee on WLA deferred the measure.
2026-03-16 S
The committee(s) on WLA/EIG/HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 03-19-26 3:01PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to WLA/EIG/HOU, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 278).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Iwamoto, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Olds, Poepoe voting no (2) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1200-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-26 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Shimizu; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
2026-02-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-26-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-20 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Perruso, Poepoe, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 717-26), recommending referral to JHA.
2026-02-19 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Ichiyama, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Poepoe, Shimizu; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Iwamoto; and Excused: none.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 02-19-26 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-10 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-09 H
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 111-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2026-02-04 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Cochran, Grandinetti, Kila, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Kitagawa.
2026-01-30 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Wednesday, 02-04-26 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-30 H
Re-referred to HSG, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 5
2026-01-26 H
Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 1
2026-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-20 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
County-designated Transit-Oriented Development Areas; Transit-Supportive Densities; County Regulations; Prohibition
Requires the development of transit-supportive densities to be allowed in any county-designated transit-oriented development area. Prohibits the counties from enacting an ordinance, rule, regulation, development standard, zoning provision, or other land use control that restricts the development of transit-supportive densities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1739

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1739

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to transit-oriented development
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read
as follows:

����
"
�46-
�
County-designated transit-oriented
development zones; transit-supportive densities; county regulation; prohibition.
�
(a)
�
Notwithstanding any law to the
contrary, in any county-designated transit-oriented development zone,
development of transit-supportive densities shall be allowed; provided that no
county ordinance, rule, regulation, development standard,
zoning provision, or other land use control shall be enacted that
restricts
the development of such transit-supportive densities.

����
(b)
�

Any county ordinance, rule, regulation development standard, zoning
provision, or other land use control that is inconsistent with section 206E-246
shall be preempted, void, and of no force or effect to the extent of the
inconsistency.
"

����
SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 206E, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part X to be appropriately
designated and to read as follows:

����
"
�206E-
�
Transit-oriented development
infrastructure improvement program areas; transit-supportive densities; county
regulation; prohibition.
�
(a)
�

Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, in any transit-oriented
development infrastructure improvement program area established pursuant to
section 206E-43, development of transit-supportive densities shall be allowed;
provided that no county ordinance, rule, regulation, development standard,
zoning provision, or other land use control shall be enacted that restricts the
development of such transit-supportive densities.

����
(b)
�

Any county ordinance, rule, regulation development standard, zoning
provision, or other land use control that is inconsistent with section 206E-246
shall be preempted, void, and of no force or effect to the extent of the
inconsistency.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

County-designated
Transit-Oriented Development Zones; Transit-oriented Development Infrastructure
Improvement Program Areas; Transit-supportive Densities; County Regulations;
Prohibition

Description:

Prohibits
the counties from enacting an ordinance, rule, regulation, development
standard, zoning provision, or other land use control that restricts the development
of transit-supportive densities in county-designated transit-oriented
development zones and transit-oriented development infrastructure improvement program
areas.

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