HB1919 • 2026

RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

Children Housing

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: EVSLIN, BELATTI, GRANDINETTI, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KILA, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LOWEN, MARTEN, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, PIERICK, SOUZA, TARNAS, Alcos
Last action: 2026-03-10
Official status: Failed to pass Third Reading with Representative(s) Amato, Grandinetti, Iwamoto, Perruso voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Belatti, Chun, Cochran, Garrett, Gedeon, Hartsfield, Hashem, Ilagan, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kong, Lee, M., Marten, Matayoshi, Muraoka, Olds, Poepoe, Reyes Oda, Sayama, Souza, Takayama, Takenouchi, Tam, Templo, Yamashita voting no (25) and none excused (0).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included details about parking requirements for commercial spaces that were not specified in the official source material.

Parking Reform Act

This bill stops counties from requiring minimum parking spaces for specific types of developments starting July 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

Starting on July 1, 2027, it prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for accessory dwelling units and affordable housing projects.
It also limits the number of required parking spots to no more than half a spot per residential unit and one spot per 1,000 square feet of commercial space in mixed-use buildings under 3,000 square feet.

Who It Names or Affects

Developers and property owners who build accessory dwelling units or affordable housing projects will not have to follow minimum parking requirements set by counties.
Counties must change their rules about parking requirements to match the new law by July 1, 2027.

Terms To Know

Accessory Dwelling Unit: A smaller living space within a larger home or on the same property as a main house.
Affordable Housing: Housing that costs no more than 140% of the area median family income, making it affordable for low- to moderate-income families.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if counties do not change their rules by July 1, 2027.
It is unclear how this will affect the cost of housing and traffic in different areas.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment prohibits counties from requiring minimum parking spaces for certain types of developments starting July 1, 2027.

Prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for accessory dwelling units, affordable housing projects, existing buildings changing use, small residences, senior and disability housing, child care facilities, commercial spaces in mixed-use projects, and small commercial buildings.
Limits the number of required parking stalls to 0.5 per residential unit and one stall per 1,000 square feet of commercial space for developments not exempted by other provisions.
Requires counties to amend or repeal conflicting laws by July 1, 2027.

The amendment text does not specify how the prohibitions will be enforced or what penalties might apply if a county fails to comply with these requirements.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment would prohibit counties from requiring minimum parking spaces for certain types of developments starting July 1, 2027.

Prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for accessory dwelling units, affordable housing projects, existing buildings changing use, small residences, senior and disability housing, child care facilities, commercial spaces in mixed-use projects, and small commercial buildings.
Limits the number of required parking stalls to 0.5 per residential unit and one stall per 1,000 square feet of commercial space for developments not exempted by other provisions.

The amendment does not specify how counties will determine actual community needs for parking beyond the listed exemptions.
It is unclear what happens to existing parking requirements that are not explicitly addressed in this amendment.

HD3

Hawaii published version HD3

Plain English: This amendment prohibits counties from requiring minimum parking spaces for certain types of developments, such as affordable housing units and accessory dwelling units, starting July 1, 2027.

Prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for specific development types like affordable housing units, accessory dwelling units, senior housing, and more.
Limits the number of required parking spaces to 0.5 per residential unit and one space per 1,000 square feet of commercial area for other developments.
Requires counties to update their laws by July 1, 2027, to comply with these new rules.

The amendment text does not specify how the changes will be enforced or what penalties might apply if a county fails to comply.

Bill History

2026-03-10 H
Failed to pass Third Reading with Representative(s) Amato, Grandinetti, Iwamoto, Perruso voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Belatti, Chun, Cochran, Garrett, Gedeon, Hartsfield, Hashem, Ilagan, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kong, Lee, M., Marten, Matayoshi, Muraoka, Olds, Poepoe, Reyes Oda, Sayama, Souza, Takayama, Takenouchi, Tam, Templo, Yamashita voting no (25) and none excused (0).
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1198-26) as amended in HD 3, 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: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Sayama, Takayama; Noes: none; 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 as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran, Olds voting no (2) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 712-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
2026-02-17 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Belatti, Ichiyama, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Poepoe.
2026-02-11 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 02-17-26 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. 118-26) 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: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Cochran; 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.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to HSG, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
Counties; Minimum Parking Mandates; Prohibitions
Beginning 7/1/2027, prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for certain developments and limits the minimum parking requirements that may be imposed for other developments. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1919

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1919

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to development standards
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that pre-determined
minimum parking mandates needlessly drive up the cost of housing, often adding
between $50,000-$65,000 per parking stall.
�

The legislature further finds that, rather than the counties taking a
one-size-fits-all approach to minimum parking mandates, the amount of parking for
a project should be determined on a case-by-case basis by permit applicants,
sensitive to actual community needs.

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The purpose of this Act is to, beginning
July 1, 2027, prohibit counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for
certain developments.

����
SECTION
2
.
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This Act shall
be known and may be cited as the "Parking Reform and Modernization
Act".

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SECTION 3.
�
Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding two new sections to part I to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

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"
�46-
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Minimum parking mandates; certain
developments; prohibited.
�
(a)
�

Notwithstanding any other law, charter provision, ordinance, code, or
standard to the contrary, no county shall impose a minimum parking mandate for:

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(1)
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Accessory
dwelling units, as defined by county ordinance;

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(2)
�
Housing units
or projects that are designated or approved as affordable housing;

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(3)
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Existing
buildings changing use, including vacant buildings;

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(4)
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Residences
under one thousand two hundred square feet;

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(5)
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Senior housing;

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(6)
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Housing for persons
with disabilities;

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(7)
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Child care
facilities;

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(8)
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Commercial
spaces in mixed-use projects; and

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(9)
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Any commercial
building or facility with a total floor area of no more than three thousand
square feet.

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(b)
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No county shall require more than:

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(1)
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0.5 parking
stalls per residential dwelling unit; and

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(2)
�
One parking
stall per one thousand square feet of gross commercial floor area.

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(c)
�

Nothing in this section shall be construed to p
reclude or limit
requirements for the provision of accessible parking stalls for persons with
disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as
amended, the federal Fair Housing Act, or any other applicable law.

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(d)
�
For purposes of this section,
"affordable housing" means housing that is affordable to households
with incomes at or below one hundred forty per cent of the area median family
income, as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development, or as defined by the applicable county for its affordable housing
programs.
"

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SECTION
4
.
�
Each county
shall amend or repeal any charter provision, ordinance, code, standard, or
administrative procedure necessary to comply with this Act no later than July 1,
2027.
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On July 1, 2027, any charter
provision, ordinance, code, standard, or administrative procedure that
conflicts with this Act shall be void.

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SECTION 5.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 6.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2027.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Counties; Minimum Parking Mandates; Prohibitions

Description:

Beginning 7/1/2027, prohibits counties from imposing
minimum parking mandates for certain developments.

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