HB737 • 2026

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

Active

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

Sponsor: EVSLIN, CHUN, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, PIERICK, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TARNAS, Amato
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 the exact criteria for cultural significance or how the change will impact existing preservation efforts and resources.

Changes to Historic Preservation Rules

This bill updates the definition of 'historic property' and removes the requirement for a historic preservation review for existing privately-owned single-family detached dwellings over fifty years old unless they meet specific criteria.

What This Bill Does

Updates the definition of 'historic property' to include buildings, structures, or sites that are at least fifty years old and have cultural significance as determined by department staff or a qualified professional.
Removes the requirement for a historic preservation review for existing privately-owned single-family detached dwellings over fifty years old unless they meet certain criteria.

Who It Names or Affects

Homeowners with single-family detached dwellings over fifty years old
The State Historic Preservation Program

Terms To Know

Historic property: A building, structure, object, district, area, or site that is at least fifty years old and meets specific criteria for cultural significance.
Hawaii register of historic places: A list maintained by the state to identify properties with historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural value.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a home is over fifty years old but does not meet the criteria for historic property.
It's unclear how this change will affect existing preservation efforts and resources allocated to them.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment changes how 'historic property' is defined in Hawaii, making it easier to include properties that are important to Native Hawaiians or other ethnic groups due to cultural practices or beliefs.

Expands the definition of 'historic property' to include buildings and sites over fifty years old that meet certain criteria related to cultural significance for Native Hawaiians or other ethnic groups.
Removes the requirement for a historic preservation review if an existing privately-owned single-family detached dwelling unit or townhouse is over fifty years old but not listed on any register of historic places.

The amendment text does not provide specific details about how 'integrity and significance criteria' are determined, leaving some aspects unclear.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
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. 209) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2025-01-31 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa.
2025-01-28 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Friday, 01-31-25 9:15AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Re-referred to HSG, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 4
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 HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
Historic Preservation; Historic Property
Redefines "historic property" with respect to the State Historic Preservation Program. Deletes the requirement for an application for a proposed project on an existing privately-owned single-family detached dwelling unit to have a historic preservation review if the unit or townhouse is over fifty years old.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB737

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

737

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

hISTORIC
PRESERVATION
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 6E-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending the definition of "historic property" to read as follows:

����
"
"Historic property" means
any building, structure, object, district, area, or site, including
a
heiau
and
an
underwater site, [
which
]
that
is over fifty years
old[
.
]
and meets the integrity and significance criteria to be placed
onto the Hawaii register of historic places, as determined by department staff
or a qualified professional, as set forth by the department, or has important
value to Native Hawaiians or other ethnic groups of the State due to
associations with cultural practices once carried out, or still being carried
out, at the property or due to associations with traditional beliefs, events,
or oral accounts that are important to the group's history, traditional
practices, and cultural identity.
"

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 6E-42.2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�
An application for a proposed project on an
existing privately-owned single-family detached dwelling unit or townhouse
shall be subject to the requirements of section 6E-42 only if the single-family
detached dwelling unit or townhouse is [
over fifty years old
]
a
historic property
and:

����
(1)
�
Is listed on the Hawaii or national register
of historic places, or both;

����
(2)
�
Is nominated for inclusion on the Hawaii or
national register of historic places, or both; or

����
(3)
�
Is located in a historic district."

����
SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Historic
Preservation; Historic Property

Description:

Redefines
"historic property" with respect to the State Historic Preservation
Program.
�
Requires historic review for
proposed projects on existing privately-owned single-family detached dwelling
units or townhouses only if the unit or townhouse is historic property, rather
than over 50 years old.

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