HB528 • 2026

RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL LEASEHOLDS.

Housing

Active

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

Sponsor: MIYAKE, LAMOSAO
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Re-Referred to CPN/WLA, JDC.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide information on the effective date of the bill's provisions. The candidate explanation incorrectly states an effective date of July 1, 2025, while the actual text indicates it will take effect in the year 3000.

Exemption for Long-Term Residential Leases on State and County Lands

This bill exempts state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for at least 99 years from certain state laws governing residential leaseholds.

What This Bill Does

Exempts state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of no less than ninety-nine years from chapters 516 and 516D of Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Who It Names or Affects

People leasing land from the state or counties for at least 99 years after July 1, 2025.
Government agencies managing these long-term leases.

Terms To Know

Residential leaseholds: Long-term rental agreements for land used as homes or housing developments.
Chapter 516 and Chapter 516D, Hawaii Revised Statutes: State laws that govern certain aspects of residential leases and condominiums.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens to existing shorter-term leases or how disputes will be handled.
It is unclear if this exemption will affect other state laws beyond chapters 516 and 516D.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment exempts state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, with an initial period of at least ninety-nine years from certain state laws governing residential leaseholds.

Changes the wording in Sections 516-2 and 516D-1 to clarify that state and county lands leased for a minimum of ninety-nine years starting July 1, 2025, are exempt from specific state laws about residential leaseholds.

The amendment does not provide details on what specific remedies or protections will be available under chapter 480 or other existing laws for residents of these exempted lands.
It is unclear why the effective date is set so far in the future (July 1, 3000).

Bill History

2026-02-02 S
Re-Referred to CPN/WLA, JDC.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to CPN/WTL, JDC.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 252).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Amato, Belatti, Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto, Perruso voting no (2) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1061), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-26 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Kahaloa.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 02-26-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-14 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with Representative(s) Amato voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-14 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 717), recommending referral to JHA.
2025-02-13 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Souza; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Iwamoto; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Poepoe, Woodson.
2025-02-10 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 02-13-25 9:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-06 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Ward excused (1).
2025-02-06 H
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 204) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2025-02-05 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, Kitagawa, Muraoka; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, La Chica, Pierick.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Wednesday, 02-05-25 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HSG, 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 RESIDENTIAL LEASEHOLDS.
Residential Leases; State Lands; County Lands; Exemption
Exempts state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of no less than ninety-nine years from state law governing residential leaseholds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB528

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

528

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to residential leaseHOLDS
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 516-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"
�516-2
�
Applicability.
�
This chapter applies to all lands leased as
residential lots [
which
]
that
are owned or held privately or
owned by the State or its political subdivisions, except
:

����
(1)
�
Hawaiian
home lands [
which
]
that
are subject to Article XII of the
Constitution of the State [
and lands
]
;

����
(2)
�
Lands

owned or held by the federal government[
.
]
; and

����
(3)
�
State
and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of not less
than ninety-nine years.

This
chapter is not meant to supersede or preclude any other remedy at law available
to residential leasehold lessees or the State, including those available under
chapter 480."

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 516D-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"�516D-1
�
Applicability.
�
This chapter applies to all lands on which
are situated either residential condominium property regimes created under
chapter 514B or any predecessor thereto, or cooperative housing corporations,
which are owned or held privately or by the State or by the counties, except
:

����
(1)
�
Hawaiian
home lands subject to article XII of the state constitution [
and lands
]
;

����
(2)
�
Lands

owned or held by the federal government[
.
]
; and

����
(3)
�
State
and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of not less
than ninety-nine years.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�

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

����
SECTION 4.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Residential
Leases; State Lands; County Lands; Exemption

Description:

Exempts
state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of not
less than ninety-nine years from chapters 516 and 516D, Hawaii Revised
Statutes.

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