HB211 • 2026

RELATING TO STREAM MAINTENANCE.

Active

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

Sponsor: TAM, BELATTI, KILA, KUSCH, MATAYOSHI, OLDS, PERRUSO, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TARNAS
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of July 1, 3000, appears to be a placeholder or error in the official text.

Rules for Cleaning Up Streams

This bill requires counties to remove personal property left in streams, channels, streambeds, and drainageways for more than 24 hours.

What This Bill Does

Requires the counties to remove and dispose of personal property as part of maintaining public waterways like streams, channels, streambeds, and drainageways.
Clarifies that personal property stored in or near these areas for over 24 hours without permission is considered abandoned and can be removed by the county or state.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties responsible for maintaining public waterways
People who leave personal property in or near streams, channels, streambeds, and drainageways

Terms To Know

personal property: Items owned by individuals such as furniture, clothing, and household goods.
abandoned property: Property left without permission for over 24 hours that can be removed by the county or state.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens to items after they are disposed of.
It is unclear how this will affect recreational activities near waterways.
The effective date is set for July 1, 3000, which seems like a placeholder or 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 requires counties to remove personal property stored in or near public waterways, deeming it abandoned after 24 hours and allowing disposal by the state or county.

Counties must now remove and dispose of personal property as part of maintaining channels, streambeds, streambanks, and drainageways.
Personal property stored in these areas for more than 24 hours is considered abandoned and can be removed by the state or county.

The amendment does not specify what happens to personal property before it is deemed abandoned after 24 hours.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-27 H
The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2025-02-25 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 02-27-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Amato 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. 360) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
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, Morikawa, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; 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.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 1
2025-01-16 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-15 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO STREAM MAINTENANCE.
Abandoned Property; Personal Property; Property Storage; Streambeds; Streambanks; Channels; Drainageways; Counties
Requires the counties to remove and dispose of personal property as part of the maintenance of channels, streambeds, streambanks, and drainageways. Clarifies that personal property stored in or near a channel, streambed, streambank, or drainageways for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours shall be deemed abandoned property which may be disposed of by the State or county. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB211

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

211

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to stream maintenance
.

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

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SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that the State's public
streams and tributaries are vital natural resources that support the State's
ecosystems, serve as crucial infrastructure for managing stormwater, and
provide recreational and aesthetic value to residents and visitors alike.
�
Improper storage of personal property in or
near these waterways poses significant environmental, health, and safety risks,
including obstructing water flow, increasing flood potential, and introducing
pollutants into the ecosystem.

����
The legislature further finds that in
October 2024, heavy rains caused debris from tributaries to wash into the Ala
Wai canal and Ala Wai small boat harbor, creating hazardous conditions that
jeopardized public safety, harmed marine ecosystems, and disrupted boating and
recreational activities.
�
Such incidents
demonstrate the urgent need to regulate the storage of personal property in or
near public streams and tributaries to prevent future blockages, pollution, and
environmental degradation.
�
It is the
responsibility of the State to preserve its natural resources, protect public
safety, and maintain the functionality and health of its waterways for present
and future generations.

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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
prohibit the storage of personal property in or near a public stream or
tributary.

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SECTION
2.
�
Chapter 171, 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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"
�171-
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Storage of personal property in or near a
public stream or tributary; prohibited.
�

(a)
�
A person shall not store
personal property in or near a public stream or tributary.
�
Personal property stored in or near a public
stream or tributary for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours shall
be deemed abandoned property that the department shall dispose of pursuant to
section 171-31.5.

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(b)
�
For the purposes of this section, "personal
property" means any and all tangible property and includes but is not
limited to items, goods, materials, merchandise, furniture, equipment,
fixtures, clothing, and household items.
�

"Personal property" does not include any vehicle as defined in
section 291C-1 or vessel as defined in section 200-23.
"

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SECTION 3.
�

New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DLNR;
Abandoned Property; Personal Property; Property Storage; Streams; Tributaries

Description:

Clarifies
that personal property stored in or near a public stream or tributary for a
continuous period of more than twenty-four hours shall become abandoned
property which the Department of Land and Natural Resources shall dispose of.

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