HB979 • 2026

RELATED TO SUMMARY POSSESSION.

Housing Taxes

Active

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

Sponsor: MATAYOSHI, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, TAM
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date in the official summary and bill text is July 1, 3000, not July 1, 2025 as stated in the candidate explanation.

Rules for Summary Possession Proceedings

This bill requires landlords seeking to evict tenants through summary possession proceedings to provide their current general excise tax license number, and mandates the courts to send annual reports about these cases to the Department of Taxation.

What This Bill Does

Requires landlords filing for summary possession (eviction) to include their current general excise tax license number used for rental income in their court complaint.
If a landlord does not provide this information, the court will dismiss the case.
The Judiciary must send an annual list of certain information regarding summary possession cases to the Department of Taxation.

Who It Names or Affects

Landlords who want to evict tenants through summary possession proceedings
Courts handling summary possession cases
The Department of Taxation

Terms To Know

Summary Possession: A legal process where a landlord can quickly take back rental property from a tenant who has not paid rent.
General Excise Tax License Number: A unique number given by the government to businesses, including landlords, for collecting and paying taxes on their income.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a landlord provides an incorrect or outdated license number.
It is unclear how this information will be used by the Department of Taxation.
This law will take effect on July 1, 3000.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires people seeking possession of rental property due to unpaid rent to provide their current general excise tax license number in court, and it mandates the judiciary to send an annual list of summary possession cases to the Department of Taxation.

People who want to take back a rented property because the tenant hasn't paid rent must now include their general excise tax license number when filing a complaint with the court.
The courts are required to give the Department of Taxation an annual list of all summary possession cases, including details like case numbers and dates.

The amendment specifies that if someone doesn't include their general excise tax license number in their complaint, the court will dismiss the case.
It's unclear why the effective date is set for July 1, 3000, which seems unusually far into the future.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to CPN, JDC.
2025-02-28 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-02-28 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 47).
2025-02-27 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-27 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 893), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-19 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Garcia; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-02-14 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 02-19-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-11 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, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-11 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 418) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-02-04 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Marten, Tam, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Kong, Lowen.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Tuesday, 02-04-25 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-23 H
Referred to CPC, JHA, referral sheet 3
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-21 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATED TO SUMMARY POSSESSION.
Summary Possession; GET license; Judiciary
Requires that a current general excise tax license number for any rental income be filed with the complaint to the court for summary possession proceedings. Requires the Judiciary to submit an annual list of certain information regarding summary possession cases to the Department of Taxation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB979

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

979

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATED
TO SUMMARY POSSESSION
.

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

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SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 666, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

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"
�666-
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Summary
possession proceedings; tax clearance.
�
(a)
�
The person or entity seeking possession of
the premises for failure to pay rent shall include in the complaint filed with
the court the current general excise tax license number used for rental income
earned from the premises; provided that if the complaint does not include the
information required by this subsection, then the complaint shall be dismissed.

����
(b)
�
The judiciary shall submit an annual list of
all summary possession cases filed with the courts to the department of
taxation.
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The list shall include the
following information:

����
(1)
�
The case
number;

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(2)
�
The name of the
person or entity seeking possession of the property;

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(3)
�
The general
excise tax license number provided, if any; and

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(4)
�
The date the
complaint was filed.
"

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SECTION
2.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Summary
Possession; GET license; Judiciary

Description:

Requires
that a current GET license number for any rental income be filed with the
complaint to the court for summary possession proceedings.
�
Requires the judiciary to submit an annual
list of certain information regarding summary possession cases to the
department of taxation.

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