HB2113 • 2026

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES.

Agriculture Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: NAKAMURA, CHUN, EVSLIN, KAHALOA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MORIKAWA
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: The committee on WAM deferred the measure.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify if it aims to prevent flooding or how much of the previous cleanup was completed. These details are speculative and removed.

Funding to Clear Overgrown Vegetation in Kainahola Stream

This bill provides $500,000 from the state's general revenues for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to remove overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream on Kauai.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates $500,000 from the state’s general revenues to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity for removing overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity will use the money to clear vegetation from the Kainahola Stream.
People living near the Kainahola Stream may benefit from reduced flooding risks.

Terms To Know

Appropriation: Money given by the government for a specific purpose, like cleaning up a stream.
Overgrown vegetation: Plants that have grown too much and can cause problems, such as blocking water flow in streams.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only provides funding for one year (2026-2027) to finish the cleanup.
It is not clear if more money will be needed after this initial $500,000 is spent.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment provides funding to the Department of Transportation to complete the removal of overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway.

Appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to finish removing overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway as ordered by a court case.

The exact amount of funding is not specified in the amendment text, only that it will be 'so much thereof as may be necessary'.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect and likely contains an error.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment provides funding to remove overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway in Kauai.

Appropriates funds out of general revenues for fiscal year 2026-2027 to complete the removal of overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway.

The exact amount of funding is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect and likely contains an error.

Bill History

2026-04-06 S
The committee on WAM deferred the measure.
2026-04-01 S
The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 04-06-26 10:31AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-03-30 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-03-24 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-24 S
Reported from TRS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3142) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-19 S
The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TRS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C., DeCorte.
2026-03-16 S
The committee(s) on TRS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-19-26 3:05PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2026-03-10 S
Referred to TRS, WAM.
2026-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 79).
2026-03-05 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-05 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 784-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-25 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-23 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Wednesday, 02-25-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-17 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) Cochran, Lee, M., Poepoe excused (3).
2026-02-17 H
Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 329-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-11 H
The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Chun, Kusch, Kahaloa, Perruso, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Lowen, Quinlan.
2026-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 02-11-26 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to AGR, FIN, referral sheet 4
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES.
DAB; Kainahola Stream; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity for the removal of overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2113

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2113

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to natural resources
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the
Kainahola stream on Kauai flows through state property.
�
The legislature further finds that the State
has not provided the resources necessary to remove overgrown vegetation from
the Kainahola stream drainageway to prevent flooding of the stream.
�
As a result, the Kainahola stream has
overflowed and at times flooded adjoining properties.

����
In one
such instance, the owner of an adjoining property filed suit against the State which
resulted in the State being ordered to remove overgrown vegetation from the
Kainahola stream drainageway.
�
The
legislature appropriated approximately $1,600,000 for the cleanup, which
allowed the departments of agriculture and biosecurity and land and natural
resources to complete seventy-five per cent of the necessary cleanup.
�
However, further funds are necessary to
complete the removal of overgrown vegetation.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate the funds necessary to finish
removing overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway in
accordance with
KRB LLC v. State
, Civil No. 15-1-0127.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to finish removing overgrown
vegetation from the Kainahola Stream drainageway in accordance with
KRB LLC
v. State
, Civil No. 15-1-0127.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of agriculture and biosecurity
for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DAB;
Kainahola Stream; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds for the removal of overgrown vegetation from the Kainahola Stream.

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