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HB437 • 2026

RELATING TO OUT-OF-STATE OFFICES.

RELATING TO OUT-OF-STATE OFFICES.

Budget
Active

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

Sponsor
ILAGAN, COCHRAN, GARRETT, HASHEM, HUSSEY, ICHIYAMA, KILA, LA CHICA, LAMOSAO, MIYAKE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAM, TEMPLO, WOODSON
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Re-Referred to EDT/WLA, WAM.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the services or benefits that will be offered by the out-of-state office.

Establishing a DBEDT Office in the Philippines

This bill requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish an office in the Philippines and provides funding for it.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to open an office in the Philippines.
  • Provides funds from Hawaii's budget to start this office.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) will have to establish an office in the Philippines.

Terms To Know

Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
A government agency that helps businesses grow and develop in Hawaii.
Appropriations
Money given by the state to a department or program for specific purposes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be provided.
  • It is unclear what services the new office in the Philippines will offer.

Amendments

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

HD1

1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish an out-of-state office in the Philippines and provides funding for it.

  • The department must set up an out-of-state office in the Philippines.
  • Funding is provided from general state revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
  • The exact amount of funding is not specified, only that 'so much thereof as may be necessary' will be used.
  • The effective date listed (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect and likely contains an error.
SD1

3

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish an out-of-state office in the Philippines and provides funding for it.

  • The department must set up an out-of-state office in the Philippines.
  • Funding is provided from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
  • The exact amount of funding is not specified, only that 'so much thereof as may be necessary' will be used.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how the office will operate or what its specific duties will be.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 S

    Re-Referred to EDT/WLA, WAM.

  2. 2026-04-02 S

    Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).

  3. 2026-04-01 H

    House Conferee(s) discharged.

  4. 2026-03-20 H

    Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).

  5. 2026-03-20 S

    Senate Conferee(s) discharged.

  6. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  7. 2025-04-25 S

    Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-25-25 5:46 PM; Conference Room 225.

  8. 2025-04-25 S

    Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-25-25 4:40 PM; Conference Room 411.

  9. 2025-04-25 S

    Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-25-25 3:00 PM; Conference Room 411.

  10. 2025-04-25 S

    Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-25-25 11:40 AM; Conference Room 411.

  11. 2025-04-24 H

    Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-25-25 10:00AM in conference room 411.

  12. 2025-04-23 H

    Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Thursday, 04-24-25 3:00PM in conference room 411.

  13. 2025-04-22 H

    Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 862).

  14. 2025-04-22 S

    Senate Conferees Appointed: DeCoite Chair; Lee, C., Kim Co-Chairs; Fevella.

  15. 2025-04-15 S

    Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).

  16. 2025-04-14 H

    House Conferees Appointed: Ilagan, Hussey Co-Chairs; Matsumoto.

  17. 2025-04-11 S

    Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704).

  18. 2025-04-10 H

    House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).

  19. 2025-04-08 H

    Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 637) in amended form (SD 1).

  20. 2025-04-08 S

    Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Kim. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.

  21. 2025-04-04 S

    One Day Notice 04-08-25.

  22. 2025-04-04 S

    Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1773) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.

  23. 2025-04-01 S

    The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Lee, C., Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Kim ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite, Fevella.

  24. 2025-03-27 S

    The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

  25. 2025-03-20 S

    Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

  26. 2025-03-20 S

    Reported from EDT/TCA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1195) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

  27. 2025-03-13 S

    The committee(s) on TCA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TCA were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C., Inouye, Elefante, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none.

  28. 2025-03-13 S

    The committee(s) on EDT recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDT were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) DeCoite, Wakai, Fukunaga; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Kim ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none.

  29. 2025-03-10 S

    The committee(s) on EDT/TCA has scheduled a public hearing on 03-13-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

  30. 2025-03-04 S

    Referred to EDT/TCA, WAM.

  31. 2025-03-04 S

    Passed First Reading.

  32. 2025-03-04 S

    Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 104).

  33. 2025-02-28 H

    Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.

  34. 2025-02-28 H

    Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 984), recommending passage on Third Reading.

  35. 2025-02-24 H

    The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

  36. 2025-02-21 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 10:00AM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  37. 2025-02-11 H

    Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Pierick voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).

  38. 2025-02-11 H

    Reported from ECD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 331) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.

  39. 2025-02-05 H

    The committee on ECD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Ilagan, Hussey, Holt, Tam, Templo, Todd, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.

  40. 2025-01-29 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by ECD on Wednesday, 02-05-25 10:00AM in House conference room 423 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  41. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to ECD, FIN, referral sheet 2

  42. 2025-01-21 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  43. 2025-01-17 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO OUT-OF-STATE OFFICES.
Filipino Caucus; DBEDT; Out-of-state Office; Republic of the Philippines; Appropriations ($)
Requires, and appropriates funds for, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish an out-of-state office in the Republic of the Philippines. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB437

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

437

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to out-of-state offices
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that enhancing
economic ties between Hawaii and the Philippines presents significant
opportunities for strengthening mutual economic development.
�
Filipinos have emerged as the second-largest
ethnic group in Hawaii, representing approximately twenty-five per cent of
Hawaii's population, and play major roles in all sectors of Hawaii's economy.
�
In addition, President Ferdinand R. Marcos,
Jr. has recently emphasized the potential for expanding trade cooperation
between the Philippines and Hawaii.
�
Assisting
small businesses in developing and marketing products, focusing on
strengthening economic development, expanding and diversifying trade
opportunities, promoting cultural exchanges, and leveraging the Filipino
community in Hawaii can enhance the economic and cultural partnerships between
Hawaii and the Philippines and lead to sustained growth and mutual benefits.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require the department of business, economic
development, and tourism to establish an out-of-state office in the
Philippines.

����
SECTION 2.
�
The department of business, economic
development, and tourism shall establish an out-of-state office in the
Philippines as authorized under section 201-81, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

����
SECTION 3.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$ or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department
of business, economic development, and tourism to establish an out-of-state
office in the Philippines.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of
this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Filipino
Caucus; DBEDT; Out-of-state Office; Philippines; Appropriation

Description:

Requires,
and appropriates funds for, the Department of Business, Economic Development,
and Tourism to establish an out-of-state office in the Philippines.

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