HB502 • 2026

RELATING TO LAND USE.

Agriculture Land

Active

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

Sponsor: ICHIYAMA, HASHEM, TARNAS
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify a timeframe for the Land Use Commission's decision-making process, only that it must adopt rules under chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement this Act.

Rules for Changing Land Use from Agriculture to Rural

This bill allows counties in Hawaii to petition the Land Use Commission to change land use from agricultural districts to rural districts under specific conditions, starting July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2029.

What This Bill Does

Allows each county to request a change of land use from an agricultural district to a rural district through the Land Use Commission's declaratory ruling process.
Requires counties to follow specific rules when submitting these requests, such as providing notice and meeting certain size requirements for lots.
Limits this ability to a three-year period starting July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties in Hawaii
Landowners with properties currently in agricultural districts that meet certain criteria

Terms To Know

Declaratory ruling process: A way for the Land Use Commission to make decisions about land use changes.
Sunsets: The bill will end on a specific date, in this case June 30, 2029.

Limits and Unknowns

This rule only applies for three years starting July 1, 2026.
It is unclear how many counties or landowners will take advantage of these rules.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allows counties to petition the Land Use Commission to reclassify land from agricultural districts to rural districts under specific conditions, with a process that ends in 2029.

Counties can submit petitions for redistricting land from agricultural to rural districts if certain criteria are met between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2029.
The Land Use Commission must process these petitions within one year of receiving them.
Petitions must be supported by the county plan and reviewed by the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

The amendment's effectiveness is limited to a specific time period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029.
Some technical details about the process are not fully explained in the provided text.

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.
2025-02-10 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Muraoka voting no (1) and Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran, Kila, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-10 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 303) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-01-30 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, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.
2025-01-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 01-30-25 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to WAL, JHA, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO LAND USE.
LUC; Counties; Petition; Redistricting; Declaratory Order
Temporarily allows each county, by resolution of its county council, to petition for the redistricting of land from an agricultural district to a rural district through the Land Use Commission's declaratory ruling process. Effective 7/1/3000. Sunsets 6/30/2029. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB502

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B.
NO.

502

THIRTY-THIRD
LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF
HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN
ACT

RELATING TO LAND USE
.

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

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

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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 lots of insufficient size to support
commercial agricultural use.
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As a
result, the ability of the counties to ensure the appropriate use of lands
within agricultural districts is inhibited by the need to account for these
non-conforming uses.

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Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to temporarily
allow each county to petition for the redistricting of land from an
agricultural district to a rural district through the land use commission's
declaratory ruling process.

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SECTION 2.
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(a)
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Between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2029, any
county, by resolution of its county council, may submit a petition to the land
use commission, established by chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the redistricting
of land from an agricultural district to a rural district if the following
requirements are met:

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(1)
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The
land has been:

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(A)
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Developed
for single-family residences that are currently in the agricultural district;
and

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(B)
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Subdivided
into lots that are no larger than one acre in size;

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(2)
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The
land is part of an existing agricultural subdivision consisting of ten or more
contiguous lots;

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

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

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(5)
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The
redistricting would not adversely affect the ability of any lots included
within the petition or any neighboring lands to be used for agricultural
purposes;

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(6)
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The
area petitioned for redistricting is supported by the applicable county plan;

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(7)
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The
applicable county council provides written notice of the council's public
hearing to each owner of each lot proposed to be included in the petition at
least fifteen days before the hearing; and

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(8)
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The

office of planning and sustainable development
has
reviewed and provided a recommendation on the petition with regard to the State's
interests.

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(b)
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The land use commission shall process petitions under subsection (a) for
declaratory order within three hundred sixty-five days from the petition being
deemed complete.
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If the land use
commission finds that there is insufficient evidence presented by the
applicable county council or that significant public trust issues are presented
by the petition, the land use commission may deny the petition in whole or in
part.

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(c)
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Lots included in a petition denied by the land use commission may be
considered for inclusion in future county council petitions submitted within
the effective period of subsection (a).

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

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SECTION 3.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026, and shall be repealed on
June 30, 2029.

INTRODUCED
BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

LUC; Counties; Petition;
Redistricting; Declaratory Order

Description:

Temporarily allows each county, by
resolution of its county council, to petition for the redistricting of land
from an agricultural district to a rural district through the Land Use Commission's
declaratory ruling process.
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Effective
7/1/2026.
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Sunsets 6/30/2029.

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