HB2424 • 2026

RELATING TO LAND USE.

Active

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

Sponsor: KUSCH, CHUN, EVSLIN, HASHEM, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, LEE, M., MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, REYES ODA, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: The recommendation was not adopted.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO LAND USE.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO LAND USE.
Land Use Commission; County Planning Agencies; District Boundary Amendment Petition; Agricultural District; Rural District Between 7/1/2026 and 12/31/2028, authorizes each county planning agency to petition the Land Use Commission for a district boundary amendment to reclassify certain lands within the agricultural district to the rural district through the district boundary amendment process.
Repeals 12/31/2028.
Effective 7/1/3000.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: HB2424 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2424 HD1 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2424 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE .

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: HB2424 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.

HB2424 HD2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.B.
NO.
2424 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 H.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE .

Bill History

2026-03-19 S
The recommendation was not adopted.
2026-03-19 S
The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 3 No(es): Senator(s) DeCoite, Richards, Fevella; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-19 S
The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WLA were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Chang, Lamosao, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Inouye.
2026-03-16 S
The committee(s) on WLA/EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 03-19-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to WLA/EIG, JDC.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 415).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato, Poepoe voting no (2) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1188-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-04 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Hashem, Kahaloa, Sayama, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Poepoe; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
2026-02-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-04-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-20 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Amato, Perruso, Poepoe, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1).
2026-02-20 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 709-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2026-02-19 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Ichiyama, Woodson; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-13 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Thursday, 02-19-26 9:00AM in conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-10 H
The committee(s) on WAL recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2026-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 02-10-26 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-02 H
Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 6
2026-01-28 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-27 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO LAND USE.
Land Use Commission; County Planning Agencies; District Boundary Amendment Petition; Agricultural District; Rural District
Between 7/1/2026 and 12/31/2028, authorizes each county planning agency to petition the Land Use Commission for a district boundary amendment to reclassify certain lands within the agricultural district to the rural district through the district boundary amendment process. Repeals 12/31/2028. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2424

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2424

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to land use
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that small lot subdivisions
exist in agricultural districts within each county that may be more
appropriately placed within the rural district.
�
Many of these lots were created for
speculative purposes before the enactment of the state land use law in 1961.

����
The
legislature further finds that the counties have an interest in redistricting
these lands as they may contain lots and uses that are non-conforming or of
insufficient size to support commercial agricultural use.

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Therefore,
the purpose of this Act is to allow each of the counties a temporary opportunity
to petition the land use commission for a district boundary amendment to
reclassify certain lands within the agricultural district to the rural district
through the declaratory ruling process.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 165-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

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"
�165-1
�

Findings and purpose.
�
The
legislature finds that [
when nonagricultural land uses extend into
agricultural areas, farming operations often become the subject of nuisance
lawsuits
]
existing or proposed agricultural land uses occurring on
former sugar cane lands are subject to permitting requirements that may be
appropriate for activities in pristine ecosystems but are unnecessary for
former cane lands.
�
The requirements are
often so burdensome and costly
that
they
may result in the premature
removal of lands from agricultural use and may discourage future investments in
agriculture.
�
The legislature also finds
that under the Hawaii State Planning Act, it is a declared policy of this State
to "foster attitudes and activities conducive to maintaining agriculture
as a major sector of Hawaii's economy."
�

Accordingly, it is the purpose of this chapter to reduce the loss to the
State of its agricultural resources by limiting the circumstances under which
farming operations may be deemed to be a nuisance."

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SECTION 3.

�
(a)
�
Between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2028,
the planning commission of any county may petition the land use commission for
a district boundary amendment to reclassify land within the agricultural
district to the rural district; provided that the following requirements are
met:

����
(1)
�
The land has been:

���������
(A)
�
Developed, permitted or intended for
single-family residences that are currently in the agricultural district; and

���������
(B)
�
Subdivided into lots that are no larger than
two acres in size;

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(2)
�
The land is part of an existing agricultural
subdivision consisting of more than twenty subdivided lots;

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(3)
�
A single-family residence is constructed on
each lot, or the lot is part of an agricultural subdivision intended for
single-family residential construction;

����
(4)
�
The requirements of chapter 343, Hawaii
Revised Statutes, if applicable, are met at the time the petition is made;

����
(5)
�
The district boundary amendment would not
adversely affect the ability of neighboring lands to be used for agricultural
purposes;

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(6)
�
The area for which a district boundary
amendment is petitioned is supported by the applicable county plan;

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(7)
�
The applicable county planning commission
provides:

����
����
(A)
�
All
affected landowners reasonable notice of the proposed district boundary
amendment petition;

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����
(B)
�
The
public an opportunity to comment on the proposed district boundary amendment petition;
and

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����
(C)
�
Required
due process for district boundary amendments under constitutional and statutory
law; and

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(8)
�
The office of planning and sustainable
development shall in every case appear as a party, at both the state and county
levels, and make recommendations to address state interests and public trust
issues.

����
(b)
�
The land use commission shall process each petition
under subsection (a) as a petition for a declaratory order, pursuant to section
91-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for a district boundary amendment of the subject
land, within three hundred sixty-five days from the date the petition is deemed
complete by the land use commission.
�
If
the land use commission finds that there is insufficient evidence presented by
the applicable county planning commission or that significant public trust
issues are presented by the petition, the land use commission may:

����
(1)
�
Deny the petition in whole or in part; or

����
(2)
�
Schedule a contested case hearing on the
matter consistent with its administrative rules.

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(c)
�
The land use commission shall adopt rules
pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement this Act.

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SECTION 4.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION 5.
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026, and shall be repealed on December
31, 2028.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Land Use
Commission; County Planning Commissions; District Boundary Amendment Petition;
Agricultural District; Rural District

Description:

Between
7/1/2026 and 12/31/2028, authorizes each county planning commission to petition
the Land Use Commission for a district boundary amendment to reclassify certain
lands within the agricultural district to the rural district through the
declaratory ruling process.

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