HB603 • 2026

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN BUSINESS MARKETING.

Budget Technology

Active

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

Sponsor: KAHALOA, AMATO, HOLT, KAPELA, PERRUSO, POEPOE
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the qualifications for Native Hawaiian businesses or the exact amount of funds appropriated beyond stating $350,000 is available each fiscal year.

Native Hawaiian Business Marketing Program

This bill requires the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to create a program that helps Native Hawaiian businesses grow by providing marketing support and technical assistance.

What This Bill Does

Creates a Native Hawaiian Marketing Program run by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Establishes qualifications for Native Hawaiian businesses to join the program.
Designs and publishes a special label that participating businesses can use on their products or services.
Provides marketing help and technical support to participating businesses, including creating an online directory of these businesses.
Requires businesses using the special label to be truly owned by Native Hawaiians and meet the program's requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

Native Hawaiian businesses that want to join the marketing program and use its special label.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs which will run the program and provide support to participating businesses.

Terms To Know

Marketing: Activities used by a business to promote and sell products or services.
Technical assistance: Help given to businesses in areas like management, finance, and technology.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how many Native Hawaiian businesses will join the program.
It is unclear what qualifications are needed for a business to participate in the marketing program.
The effectiveness of the special label on promoting Native Hawaiian businesses remains uncertain.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment allocates money from the state budget to help Native Hawaiian businesses by creating a working group that will design, implement, and maintain a marketing program.

Allocates funds for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to create a working group focused on designing, implementing, and maintaining a Native Hawaiian business marketing program.
Requires the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to report to the legislature about the progress and status of this marketing program in 2026 and 2027.

The exact amount of money allocated is not specified, only that it will be used as needed for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
The effective date of July 1, 3000, seems unusual and may indicate a placeholder or error.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-04 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-04 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 64) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2025-01-31 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Todd.
2025-01-27 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Friday, 01-31-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to JHA, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN BUSINESS MARKETING.
OHA; Native Hawaiian Marketing Program; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to convene a working group regarding program design, implementation, and long-term viability of a Native Hawaiian Marketing Program to promote and support the success of businesses owned by Hawaiians through marketing and technical assistance. Effective 7/1/3000.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB603

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

603

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to NATIVE HAWAIIAN BUSINESS MARKETING.

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

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SECTION 1.
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Chapter 10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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�10-
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Native
Hawaiian marketing program; marketing label.
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(a)
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The office shall administer and oversee a Native
Hawaiian marketing program to promote businesses owned by indigenous Native Hawaiians
through marketing and technical assistance.

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(b)
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The office shall establish qualifications for
participation in the Native Hawaiian marketing program.

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(c)
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The office shall design and publish a marketing
label that may be used by native Hawaiian businesses who qualify to participate
in the native Hawaiian marketing program pursuant to subsection (b).

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(d)
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The office shall provide marketing assistance
and technical support for native Hawaiian businesses participating in the
native Hawaiian marketing program to help the businesses grow and scale,
including through the establishment of a directory on the office's official
website of all participating native Hawaiian businesses.

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(e)
�
No person shall keep, offer, display or
expose for sale, or solicit for the sale of, any item, service, product,
souvenir, or other merchandise that:

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(1)
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Is labeled
using the marketing label published pursuant to subsection (b); or

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(2)
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By any other
means, represents the origin of the item as a service of or being produced by a
native Hawaiian,

if it has not been manufactured, assembled,
fabricated, or produced by, or is not a service of, a Native Hawaiian business
participating in the Native Hawaiian marketing program pursuant to this
section.

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(f)
�
The office shall develop rules pursuant to
chapter 91 to administer the Native Hawaiian marketing program.
"

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SECTION 2.
�
The office of Hawaiian affairs shall submit a
report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the regular
sessions of 2026 and 2027 on the status of the Native Hawaiian marketing
program established pursuant to this Act.
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The report shall include:

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(1)
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The final design
of the marketing label used to promote Native Hawaiian businesses as part of
the program and what qualifications are required to participate in the program
and use the label;

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(2)
�
Outcomes of how
the marketing label is being used and how many businesses are using the marketing
label;

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(3)
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Any other relevant
data; and

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(4)
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Any proposed
legislation.

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SECTION 3.
�
There is appropriated out of the general
revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $350,000 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 for the Native Hawaiian marketing
program established pursuant to this Act.

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The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the office of Hawaiian affairs
for the purposes of this Act.

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SECTION 4.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Office of
Hawaiian Affairs; Native Hawaiian Marketing Program; Indigenous Businesses;
Appropriation

Description:

Requires
the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to administer and oversee a Native Hawaiian Marketing
Program to promote businesses owned by Native Hawaiians through marketing and
technical assistance.

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