SB2046 • 2026

RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.

Active

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

Sponsor: KEOHOKALOLE, CHANG, ELEFANTE, FUKUNAGA, GABBARD, MCKELVEY, MORIWAKI, RICHARDS, SAN BUENAVENTURA, Kanuha, Wakai
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.
Department of Health; Water Quality; Underground Storage Tanks and Tank Systems; Confirmed Release; Environmental Restoration; Jet Fuel; Rules Requires an owner or operator of an underground storage tank or tank system with a confirmed release to meet certain standards for the restoration of the environment.
Effective 7/1/3000.
(HD1)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: SB2046 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2046 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2046 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2046 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2046 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2046 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS .

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: SB2046 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2046 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2046 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS .

Bill History

2026-04-02 H
The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.
2026-03-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 04-02-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-30 H
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).
2026-03-30 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1521-26), recommending referral to JHA.
2026-03-24 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Ichiyama, Poepoe, Woodson, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti.
2026-03-20 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 03-24-26 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-19 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 none excused (0).
2026-03-19 H
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1222-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
2026-03-17 H
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-12 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Tuesday, 03-17-26 9:15AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-03-12 H
Referred to EEP, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 17
2026-03-12 H
Pass First Reading
2026-03-10 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 155) in amended form (SD 2).
2026-03-10 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2026-03-06 S
48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3013) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2026-02-26 S
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-02-23 S
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-26-26 10:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-02-13 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.
2026-02-13 S
Reported from HHS/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2254) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
2026-02-02 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fevella.
2026-01-30 S
The committee(s) on HHS/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-02-26 3:00PM; CR 224 & Videoconference.
2026-01-28 S
The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-01-22 S
Referred to HHS/AEN, JDC.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-14 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.
Department of Health; Water Quality; Underground Storage Tanks and Tank Systems; Confirmed Release; Environmental Restoration; Jet Fuel; Rules
Requires an owner or operator of an underground storage tank or tank system with a confirmed release to meet certain standards for the restoration of the environment. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2046

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2046

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that Hawaii has been blessed with some of the purest water
(wai) on Earth.
�
The islands' age,
location in the Pacific, geography, geology, and native ecosystems provide
groundwater that has been given purity index scores of over nine hundred.

����
The
legislature further finds that the State's freshwater resources have also been
appropriately recognized as sacred and essential to all life, and the
protection and careful stewardship of Hawaii's wai has been a priority of
kanaka oiwi culture and governance since time immemorial.

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The
legislature also finds that the contamination of local groundwater and drinking
water sources with jet fuel from underground storage tanks must not be
tolerated.
�
As emphasized by state and
county agency officials and elected leaders who participated in the Red Hill
Water Alliance Initiative, any contamination must be fully remediated; there
should be no acceptable level of jet fuel in the State's precious and otherwise
pure wai.

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The
purpose of this Act is to:

����
(1)
�
Require
an owner or operator of an underground storage tank or tank system with a confirmed
release to meet certain standards for the restoration of the environment; and

����
(2)
�
Establish
a rebuttable presumption that the detection of any amount of jet fuel, jet fuel
additives, or compounds in the vicinity of an underground storage tank or tank
system after a confirmed release is the result of the confirmed release.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 342L-35, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

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"
�342L-35
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Response to suspected or confirmed releases.
�
(a)
�

The department, pursuant to chapter 91, shall adopt requirements for
investigating a suspected release and taking action in response to a confirmed
release from an underground storage tank or tank system, which shall include at
least the following:

����
(1)
�
Requirement
that when a release is found, the substances in the tank or tank system be
emptied if emptying the substances does not present a greater danger to human
health or the environment;

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(2)
�
Requirement
for proper closure of the tank or tank system, following the requirements
established under section 342L-37, or repair and testing of the tank or tank
system before placing it back into operation;

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(3)
�
Requirement
that the owner and operator of the underground storage tank or tank system that
had a release restore the environment to a condition and quality acceptable to
the department[
;
]
subject to subsection (b);
and

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(4)
�
Requirement
to notify those members of the public directly affected by the release and the
proposed response to the release.

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(b)
�

Restoration of the environment, as
described in subsection (a)(3), shall require the cleanup and removal of jet
fuel, including jet fuel additives and compounds resulting from the degradation
of jet fuel or jet fuel additives, or the reaction of jet fuel or jet fuel
additives with water or other chemicals, as soon as practicable, to levels
below the detection limits of the best and most sensitive technology and
methods available, with the goal of complete remediation
.

����
(c)
�
It shall be a rebuttable presumption that the
detection of any amount of jet fuel, jet fuel additives, or compounds derived
from jet fuel or jet fuel additives in the environment or groundwater in the
vicinity of an underground storage tank or tank system, after a confirmed
release from an underground storage tank or tank system, is the result of the
confirmed release.
"

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SECTION 3.
�

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

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Health; Water Quality; Underground Storage Tanks and Tank Systems; Confirmed
Release; Environmental Restoration; Jet Fuel; Rules

Description:

Requires
an owner or operator of an underground storage tank or tank system with a confirmed
release to meet certain standards for the restoration of the environment.
�
Establishes a rebuttable presumption that any
detection of these contaminants in the vicinity of an underground storage tank
or a tank system after a confirmed release is a result of the confirmed
release.

The summary description
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.