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SB2209 • 2026

RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.

RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.

Housing
Active

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

Sponsor
CHANG, FEVELLA, GABBARD, KIDANI, RICHARDS, Elefante, San Buenaventura
Last action
2026-02-20
Official status
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.
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 RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.

RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.

What This Bill Does

  • RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.
  • Rental Discrimination; Income; Attorneys' Fees Allows the court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating to discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income.
  • Effective 7/1/2050.
  • (SD1)

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.

SD1

1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2209 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

  • SB2209 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
  • NO.
  • 2209 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
  • 1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION .

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-20 S

    Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC.

  2. 2026-02-20 S

    Reported from CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2546) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.

  3. 2026-02-18 S

    The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, Lamosao, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.

  4. 2026-02-13 S

    The committee(s) on CPN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-18-26 9:30AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

  5. 2026-01-26 S

    Referred to CPN, JDC.

  6. 2026-01-21 S

    Introduced and passed First Reading.

  7. 2026-01-14 S

    Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO RENTAL DISCRIMINATION.
Rental Discrimination; Income; Attorneys' Fees
Allows the court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating to discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB2209

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2209

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to rental discrimination
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that under federal law, landlords are not required to accept housing
choice vouchers as a form of payment for rent.
�

The practice of refusing to rent to voucher holders is known as
"source-of-income discrimination", and disproportionately affects
renters of color, renters with disabilities, elderly renters, and women.
�
While the federal Fair Housing Act protects
these groups from discrimination based on their identities, it does not protect
them from discrimination based on their source of income.
�

����
The legislature further finds that chapter
368F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, establishes legal protections for individuals
suffering from discrimination in a rental transaction based on source of
income.
�
However, existing law prohibits
courts from awarding attorneys' fees in these cases, which disincentivizes
attorneys from taking source-of-income discrimination cases and reduces the
likelihood that parties will be able to secure legal representation.
�

����
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
allow
the court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating
to discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income.

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 368F-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

����
"
(e)
�
[
No party shall be awarded attorney's
]

The court may award attorneys'
fees or costs
to the prevailing party

in any action under this section.
"

����
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:

Rental
Discrimination; Income; Attorneys' Fees

Description:

Allows the
court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating to
discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income.

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