HB225 • 2026

RELATING TO SQUATTING.

Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: SAYAMA, HOLT, KILA, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, OLDS, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, TODD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the exact composition of the working group beyond mentioning certain roles and stakeholders. The candidate explanation's detail about specific members is speculative.

Creating a Working Group to Study Squatting

This bill establishes a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study squatting in Hawaii and provide recommendations.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to analyze squatting issues.
Requires the working group to submit preliminary and final reports with findings and recommendations to the legislature.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of the Attorney General
Government agencies involved in law enforcement, housing, and human services

Terms To Know

Squatting: Unlawfully occupying a building or land without permission or ownership rights.
Working Group: A group of people brought together to study an issue and make recommendations.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not provide immediate solutions but focuses on studying the problem.
It is unclear how the findings will be implemented after the reports are submitted.

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 working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study squatting issues in Hawaii and provide recommendations.

Establishes a working group to analyze squatting behaviors, circumstances, and legal implications.
Includes members from various state departments, law enforcement, judiciary, and community organizations.
Requires the working group to submit preliminary and final reports with findings and recommendations to the legislature.

The amendment does not specify immediate actions or penalties for squatting but focuses on studying the issue.
It is unclear how the recommendations will be implemented after the report submission.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-05 H
The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 02-05-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-30 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-01-30 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-01-28 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Amato, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Alcos.
2025-01-24 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Tuesday, 01-28-25 9:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HSH, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO SQUATTING.
Squatting; Squatters; Working Group; AG; Landlord-Tenant Code; Property; Housing; Law Enforcement; Trespass; Reports
Establishes a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study the issue of squatting in Hawaii and provide recommendations. Requires reports to the legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB225

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

225

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Squatting
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that squatting presents
a challenging and legally complex issue in the State.
�
Black's Law Dictionary defines squatting as
"the unlawful occupation and use of a building or land as one's own
without permission or ownership rights."
�

The legislature further finds that the most prevalent instances of
squatting in Hawaii are when a property owner cannot be contacted to make a
trespass complaint, leaving the property vacant or abandoned and accessible to
squatters.
�
Without the property owner's
trespass complaint, law enforcement officers cannot remove squatters when
neighbors call to report public nuisances.
�

This leaves the community without an effective legal remedy and hinders
the enforcement of trespass laws.

����
The
legislature also finds that squatting sometimes presents complex legal issues.
�
In some instances, a property owner may claim
that occupants are trespassing as squatters while the occupants claim they are
former or present tenants, with legal rights pursuant to chapter 521, Hawaii
Revised Statutes, the residential landlord-tenant code.
�
The legislature recognizes that the eviction
process can be costly and time‑consuming for both parties and, therefore,
believes the issue should be studied to identify a more efficient process for
addressing squatting in Hawaii.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to establish a working group to analyze the issue of
squatting in Hawaii and provide recommendations to address it effectively.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is established within the
department of the attorney general for administrative purposes a working group to
examine and analyze the issue of squatting in Hawaii and provide
recommendations to address it effectively.
�

The working group's analysis shall include:

����
(1)
�
A clear definition and understanding of the behaviors
or actions that constitute squatting;

����
(2)
�
Identification and analysis of the various
circumstances in which squatting may occur, including:

���������
(A)
�
Vacant and abandoned properties;

���������
(B)
�
Instances in which a property owner cannot be
located or contacted;

���������
(C)
�
Instances in which a property is in the
process of foreclosure; and

���������
(D)
�
Disputes between property owners and occupants
in which the property owner claims the occupant is squatting and the occupant
claims authorized residency as a former or current tenant;

����
(3)
�
Recommendations for addressing squatting in
each of the identified circumstances;

����
(4)
�
Recommendations to proactively prevent
squatting;

����
(5)
�
Recommendations to resolve community impacts
caused by squatting, including through the judicial system, law enforcement,
and community action; and

����
(6)
�
An analysis of policy and legislative
considerations regarding squatting, including trespass, adverse possession,
eviction, loitering, and termination of tenancy.

����
SECTION 3.

�
(a)
�
Members of the squatting working group shall
include the following persons or their designees:

����
(1)
�
The attorney general, who shall serve as chair
of the working group;

����
(2)
�
The director of law enforcement;

����
(3)
�
The director of human services;

����
(4)
�
The director of commerce and consumer affairs;

����
(5)
�
A representative from the judiciary, to be
appointed by the chief justice;

����
(6)
�
The chief of police from each county;

����
(7)
�
The prosecuting attorney from each county;

����
(8)
�
The governor's coordinator on homelessness;

����
(9)
�
The chair of the senate standing committee having
primary subject-matter jurisdiction over the judiciary;

���
(10)
�
The chair of the house of representatives
standing committee having primary subject-matter jurisdiction over the judiciary;

���
(11)
�
The chair of the senate standing committee having
primary subject-matter jurisdiction over housing;

���
(12)
�
The chair of the house of representatives
standing committee having primary subject-matter jurisdiction over housing;

���
(13)
�
A representative from the Legal Aid Society of
Hawaii, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(14)
�
A representative from the Honolulu Tenants
Union, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(15)
�
A representative from the Hawaii Association
of Realtors, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(16)
�
A representative from the Chamber of Commerce
Hawaii, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(17)
�
A representative from the Hawaii Housing
Alliance, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(18)
�
A representative from the Hawaii Appleseed
Center for Law and Economic Justice, who shall be invited to participate;

���
(19)
�
A representative from the banking or mortgage
industry, who shall be invited to participate; and

���
(20)
�
Any other stakeholders as determined by the
chair, or a majority of members of the working group, including:

���������
(A)
�
An individual having legal expertise on the
issue of squatting;

���������
(B)
�
An individual having expertise in housing
policy;

���������
(C)
�
Attorneys having expertise and experience in
the landlord-tenant code; provided that at least one shall have experience
representing landlords and at least one shall have experience representing
tenants; and

���������
(D)
�
A representative from academia who has studied
squatting.

����
(b)
�
The members of the working group shall serve
without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel
expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

����
(c)
�
The working group shall cease to exist on
June 30, 2027.

����
(d)
�
The working group shall submit a preliminary
report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation,
to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the
regular session of
2026.

����
The working group shall submit a
final report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed
legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the
convening of the regular session of
2027.

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Squatting;
Squatters; Working Group; AG; Landlord-Tenant Code; Property; Housing; Law Enforcement;
Trespass; Report to Legislature

Description:

Establishes
a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study the
issue of squatting in Hawaii and provide recommendations.
�
Requires reports to the legislature.

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