HB507 • 2026

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Budget Water

Active

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

Sponsor: ICHIYAMA, AMATO, BELATTI, CHUN, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, HASHEM, HOLT, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KITAGAWA, LA CHICA, LAMOSAO, LOWEN, MARTEN, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, TAKAYAMA, TODD, WARD
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 provide details on how much money each person will receive or specify that it helps people in areas most at risk of pollution from old cesspools.

Funding for Cesspool Compliance Pilot Grant Project

This bill appropriates funds to support a pilot grant project aimed at helping low- and moderate-income property owners convert their cesspools into approved wastewater systems.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund a pilot grant project.

Who It Names or Affects

Low- and moderate-income property owners with cesspools in priority level 1 or 2 areas as identified by the Hawaii Cesspool Prioritization Tool.

Terms To Know

Cesspool: A type of sewage system that does not treat waste and can pollute groundwater, streams, and coastal ecosystems.
Wastewater System: A system designed to collect, transport, and treat wastewater before it is released back into the environment.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money each person will receive.
It only provides funding for two fiscal years starting in July 2025.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to EEP, WAL, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.
Cesspool Compliance Pilot Grant Project; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds for the cesspool compliance pilot grant project.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB507

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

507

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to cesspools
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that failing
cesspools are contaminating the State's groundwater, streams, and coastal ecosystems.
�
To address this, the legislature has required
all cesspools to be upgraded or converted to a wastewater system approved by
the director of health or connected to a sewerage system by 2050.

����
The
legislature has recognized that the requirement to upgrade or convert a
cesspool imposes a financial burden on low- and moderate-income families.
�
In Act 153, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 (Act
153), the legislature established in the department of health the cesspool
compliance pilot grant project to assist with conversion costs for low- and
moderate-income property owners, including lessees on Hawaiian home lands,
located in an area identified as priority level 1 or 2 by the Hawaii cesspool
prioritization tool.
�
However, the
appropriation under Act 153 lapsed as of June 30, 2024.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the cesspool compliance
pilot grant project.

����
SECTION
2.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $5,000,000 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 to fund the cesspool
compliance pilot grant project; provided that the appropriation may be used to
contract for services to administer the program.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of health for the purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Cesspool
Compliance Pilot Grant Project; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds for the cesspool compliance pilot grant project.

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