SB2096 • 2026

RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.

Active

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

Sponsor: GABBARD, FUKUNAGA, RHOADS, Moriwaki, San Buenaventura
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with Representative(s) Cochran voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
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 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.
DOH; Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; PFAS; Wastewater Management; Testing; Rules Requires certain wastewater treatment works to test sewage sludge and any other residual material intended for land application for the presence of PFAS.
Requires the Director of Health to adopt rules for the monitoring, sampling, testing, and data collection of sewage sludge and other residual material at wastewater treatment works that contain PFAS.
Effective 7/1/3000.

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: SB2096 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2096 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2096 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2096 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2096 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2096 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT .

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: SB2096 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2096 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2096 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT .

Bill History

2026-03-19 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with Representative(s) Cochran voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-03-19 H
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1220-26) 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. 167) 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 WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2948) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2026-03-03 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 12 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.
2026-02-27 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-03-26 10:17AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2026-02-13 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-13 S
Reported from HHS/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2251) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
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, WAM.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-14 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.
DOH; Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; PFAS; Wastewater Management; Testing; Rules
Requires certain wastewater treatment works to test sewage sludge and any other residual material intended for land application for the presence of PFAS. Requires the Director of Health to adopt rules for the monitoring, sampling, testing, and data collection of sewage sludge and other residual material at wastewater treatment works that contain PFAS. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2096

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2096

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to wastewater management
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 342D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�342D-
�
Testing for
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
�
A
wastewater treatment plant that has been approved for land application of its
sewage sludge shall test sewage sludge and any other residual material that is
intended for land application for the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl
substances.
"

����
SECTION

2
.
�
Section 342D-1,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be
appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

����
"
"Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances" or
"PFAS" has the same meaning as defined in section 321-601.
"

����
SECTION

3
.
�
Section 342D-5,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"[
[
]�342D-5[
]
]
�
Rules; specific.
�
The director may establish by rule, water
quality standards, effluent standards, treatment and pretreatment standards,
and standards of performance for specific areas and types of discharges in the
control of water pollution, thereby allowing for varying local conditions[
.
]
;
provided that the director shall adopt rules providing for the safe disposal
and sequestration of sewage sludge and other residual materials accumulated at
a wastewater treatment plant that contain any amount of perfluoroalkyl and
polyfluoroalkyl substances.
"

����
SECTION

4
.
�
Section 342D-6,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as
follows:

����
"(c)
�
The director shall issue a permit for any
term, not exceeding five years, if the director determines that it will be in
the public interest; provided that the permit may be subject to any reasonable
conditions that the director may prescribe.
�

The director may include conditions in permits or may issue separate
permits for management practices for domestic sewage, sewage sludge, and
recycled water, regardless of whether the practices cause water pollution[
.
]
;
provided that if testing conducted pursuant to section 342D- yields
any amount of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances in sewage sludge or
any other residual material, a permit shall not authorize the land application
of that sewage sludge or other residual material on land used for agronomic
purposes, on land where drainage tiles have been installed, on land that drains
into waters of the State, or lands in a five hundred-year floodplain.
�
The director, on application, shall renew a
permit from time to time, for a term not exceeding five years, if the director
determines that it will be in the public interest.
�
The director shall not grant or deny an
application for the issuance or renewal of a permit without affording the
applicant and any person who commented on the proposed permit during the public
comment period an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with chapter 91.
�
A request for a hearing and any judicial
review of the hearing shall not stay the effect of the issuance or renewal of a
permit unless specifically ordered by the director or an environmental court."

����
SECTION
5.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION
6.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH;
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances; PFAS; Wastewater Management;
Testing; Rules; Permits; Prohibition

Description:

Requires certain
wastewater treatment plants to test sewage sludge and any other residual
material for the presence of PFAS.
�
Requires
the Department of Health to adopt administrative rules for the safe disposal
and sequestration of sewage sludge and other residual material that contain
specific amounts of PFAS.
�
Prohibits the
issuance or renewal of permits if testing yields PFAS in sewage sludge or other
residual material on land used for agronomic purposes, on land where drainage
tiles have been installed, on land that drains into waters of the State, or
land in a five hundred-year floodplain.

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