HB2002 • 2026

RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY.

Budget Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: TAKENOUCHI
Last action: 2026-02-20
Official status: 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) Quinlan excused (1).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact amount or fiscal period of the appropriation beyond stating that $75,000 may be used.

Neighborhood Safety Grants

This bill establishes the Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program to provide grants for activities and rental payments for neighborhood security watch groups and citizen patrol groups using government-owned facilities.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program within the Office of Community Services.
Provides grants for certain activities like meetings, training, administrative coordination, and rental payments for short-term use of government-owned facilities.
Limits grant usage to exclude long-term leases or equipment rentals.
Requires applicants to comply with federal and state laws against discrimination and other conditions set by the Office of Community Services.

Who It Names or Affects

Volunteer neighborhood security watch groups
Citizen patrol groups that work with police departments

Terms To Know

Neighborhood Security Watch: A volunteer group organized to promote safety in a community, often recognized by local police.
Neighborhood Citizen Patrol: A community-based, volunteer patrol coordinated by the county police department that meets specific requirements set by the police.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only funds rental payments and activities for short-term use of government-owned facilities.
It does not cover long-term leases or equipment rentals.
Details on how to apply for grants are not provided in this summary.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment establishes a grant program to help neighborhood security watch groups and citizen patrol groups rent government-owned facilities for meetings, training, and administrative coordination.

Adds a new section in Chapter 371K of Hawaii Revised Statutes to create the Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program within the Office of Community Services.
Specifies that grants can be used for rental payments and certain activities but not for long-term leases or equipment rentals.
Requires grant recipients to comply with federal and state laws, maintain transparency, and allow monitoring by relevant authorities.

The amendment specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems unusual and may be a placeholder for a future implementation date.
Details on the amount of funds appropriated are not provided in the given text.

Bill History

2026-02-20 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) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 737-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-18 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Cochran, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Hashem, Sayama.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 02-18-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY.
Office of Community Services; Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program; Appropriation ($)
Establishes and appropriates funds for the Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program to help fund certain activities and rental payments of established neighborhood security watch groups and neighborhood citizen patrol groups that rent government-owned facilities for a fee to carry out their duties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2002

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2002

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to neighborhood safety
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that volunteer
neighborhood security watch and neighborhood citizen patrol groups provide
localized support to safety efforts but often lack access to affordable space
for meetings, training, and administrative coordination.
�
Limited, short-term assistance for the rental
of existing government-owned facilities like schools can enhance the
organizational capacity of these groups in efforts to build community, promote
safe space, and deter criminal activity.

����
The purpose of this Act is to establish
and appropriate funds for a grant program to help fund certain activities and
rental payments of established neighborhood security watch groups and
neighborhood citizen patrol groups that rent government-owned facilities for a
fee.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 371K, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�371K-
�
Neighborhood security watch grant program.
�
(a)
�
There shall be established within the office
of community services the neighborhood security watch grant program to help
fund certain activities and rental payments of neighborhood security watch
groups and neighborhood citizen patrol groups that rent government-owned
facilities for a fee.

����
(b)
�

Grants provided pursuant to this section may be used to pay for costs to
conduct meetings, training, administrative coordination activities, or
community events and for rental payments to use federal, state, or county
facilities that offer public accommodation for a fee; provided that grants
shall not be used for:

����
(1)
�
Long-term or
exclusive lease agreements for real property;

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(2)
�
Equipment
rentals; and

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(3)
�
Insurance
requirements imposed as a condition of a facility use agreement or policy.

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(c)
�
Applicants to whom a grant has been awarded
shall agree to comply with the following conditions before receiving the grant:

����
(1)
�
Be, employ, or
have under contract persons who are qualified to engage in the program or
activity to be funded by the State; provided that for nonprofit organizations,
no two or more members of a family or kin of the first or second degree shall
be employed or under contract by the organization unless specifically permitted
in writing by the office of community services;

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(2)
�
Comply with
applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination against any person
on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, age, or
physical handicap;

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(3)
�
Agree not to
use public funds for purposes of entertainment or perquisites;

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(4)
�
Comply with
other requirements as the office of community services may prescribe to ensure
adherence to federal, state, and county laws by the grant recipient; and

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(5)
�
Allow the
office of community services, the legislative bodies, and the legislative
auditor full access to records, reports, files, and other related documents so
that the program, management, and fiscal practices of the grant recipient may
be monitored and evaluated to assure the proper and effective expenditure of
public funds.

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(d)
�

The office of community services shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
91 to administer the grant program.

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(e)
�
For purposes of this section:

����
"Neighborhood citizen
patrol" means a community-based, volunteer group patrol coordinated by a
county police department that meets and has fulfilled all of the requirements
of the police department.

����
"Neighborhood security
watch" means a community-based, volunteer group organized for the purpose
of promoting neighborhood safety that participates in, or is formally
recognized by, a neighborhood security watch program administered by a county
police department.
"

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SECTION 3.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $75,000 or so much thereof as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to administer the neighborhood security
watch grant program established under this Act.

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The sum appropriated shall be
expended by the department of labor and industrial relations for the purposes
of this Act.

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SECTION 4.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Office of
Community Services; Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes
and appropriates funds for the Neighborhood Security Watch Grant Program to
help
fund certain activities and rental payments of established
neighborhood security watch groups
and neighborhood citizen patrol groups that rent government-owned facilities
for a fee to carry out their duties.

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