HB826 • 2026

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Housing Labor Land

Active

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

Sponsor: EVSLIN, HOLT, KAHALOA, KAPELA, KILA, KUSCH, LAMOSAO, MIYAKE, SOUZA, TARNAS
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: Re-Referred to WLA/HOU, JDC.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about the review process or exact conditions for fees, leaving some uncertainty.

Housing Rules for Agricultural Areas

This bill allows county planning commissions to issue special permits for residential housing projects that provide long-term rentals or workforce fee simple ownership in agricultural districts, under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

Allows county planning commissions to issue special permits for land uses exclusively providing residential housing for long-term rental or workforce fee simple ownership in an agricultural district.
Requires these projects to be no larger than one hundred acres and must be immediately adjacent to urban areas but not within conservation zones.
Specifies that the land used must have certain soil classifications as determined by the Land Study Bureau.
Requires the project area to be designated for residential use on maps in county comprehensive general plans adopted within twenty years of application filing.
Sets conditions such as written concurrence from an executive director and review processes set forth in section 205-6.

Who It Names or Affects

County planning commissions
Developers interested in long-term rental or workforce fee simple ownership projects

Terms To Know

Workforce Fee Simple Ownership: A type of home ownership where the buyer owns their home but not the land, and there are restrictions on selling the property.
Conservation District: An area designated for preserving natural resources and ecosystems.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill will be repealed on June 30, 2035.
It does not specify the exact conditions or fees related to application reviews by agencies.

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 county planning commissions to permit residential housing developments exclusively for agricultural workers, long-term renters, or workforce homeowners in certain areas under specific conditions.

Adds a new section allowing county planning commissions to approve land uses that provide residential housing specifically for agricultural workers, long-term renters, and workforce homeowners if the project meets certain criteria such as size, location, soil classification, and zoning designation.

The amendment text does not specify all details about how these developments will be reviewed or what specific fees may apply.
It is unclear from the provided information exactly when this act would take effect since it mentions an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems unusual.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment allows county planning commissions to permit residential housing projects in agricultural districts under specific conditions, such as the project being no larger than 100 acres and located near urban areas.

County planning commissions can now approve land uses exclusively for residential housing aimed at agricultural workers, long-term renters, or workforce homeowners if certain criteria are met.
Projects must be within one hundred acres, adjacent to urban districts but not in conservation zones, on specific soil types, and identified as residential use since 2005 in county plans.

The amendment specifies conditions for approval but does not provide details on how these projects will be managed or regulated after approval.
It is unclear what happens if a project meets all criteria but faces opposition from local residents or other stakeholders.

Bill History

2026-02-02 S
Re-Referred to WLA/HOU, JDC.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-18 S
The committee on HOU deferred the measure.
2025-03-18 S
The committee on WTL deferred the measure.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on WTL/HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 1:05PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-11 S
Re-Referred to WTL/HOU, JDC.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to HOU/WTL, JDC.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 290).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Amato, Belatti, Garcia, Grandinetti, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Perruso, Poepoe voting no (2) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-04-25.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1163) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-26 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Hashem, Takayama, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Belatti, Garcia; 3 Noes: Representative(s) Poepoe, Perruso, Shimizu; 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
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-14 H
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 760) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-02-12 H
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-02-06 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Wednesday, 02-12-25 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to HSG, JHA, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HOUSING.
Land Use; Residential Housing; Agricultural Workforce Housing; Long-term Rentals; Workforce Fee Simple Ownership; County Planning Commission; Agricultural Districts; Special Permit
Authorizes a county planning commission, by special permit, to permit land uses exclusively providing residential housing for purposes of agricultural workforce housing, long-term rental, or workforce fee simple ownership in an agricultural district, under certain conditions. Repeals 6/30/2035. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB826

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

826

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to housing
.

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

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SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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"
�201H-
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Long-term
rental or workforce fee simple housing development; county planning
commissions.
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Land uses
exclusively
providing residential housing for long-term rental or workforce fee simple
ownership may be permitted by a county planning commission under this section;
provided that the project area is:

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(1)
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No larger than
one hundred acres;

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(2)
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Immediately
adjacent to the urban district and not including the conservation district;

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(3)
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On lands with
soils classified by the land study bureau's detailed land classification as
overall (master) productivity rating class C, D, E, or U if within the
agricultural district; and

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(4)
�
Identified on
maps for only residential use in a county comprehensive general plan adopted by
the respective county council pursuant to section 46-4 within twenty years of
the application filing.

All applications to the county planning
commission shall include written concurrence from the executive director
attesting to the executive director's review of the project and agreement that the
proposal is solely inclusive of residential housing for long-term rental or
workforce fee simple ownership.
�
Applications
shall be reviewed pursuant to the process set forth in section 205-6; provided
that section 91-9 shall only apply at the point of county planning commission
review.
�
All agencies may charge a
reasonable fee for their respective application reviews and charge all costs
necessary for transcription.
"

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SECTION 2.
�
This Act does not affect rights and duties
that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun
before its effective date.

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SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025,
and shall be repealed on June 30, 2035.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Housing;
Land Use; County Planning Commission; Agricultural Districts; Special Permit

Description:

Authorizes
a county planning commission, by special permit, to permit land uses
exclusively providing residential housing for long-term rental or affordable
fee simple ownership in an agricultural district, under certain conditions.
�
Repeals 6/30/2035.

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