SB2336 • 2026

RELATING TO TREES.

Active

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

Sponsor: GABBARD, CHANG, FUKUNAGA, MCKELVEY, RICHARDS, Ihara
Last action: 2026-02-19
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
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 TREES.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO TREES.
Trees; Public Lands; Arborists; Professionals; Contractors; Best Management Practices Requires State departments, offices, and agencies to ensure and enforce that all arborists and other professionals in its employ, including contractors, who manage trees or lands that will impact public trees adhere to best management practices.
Effective 7/1/2525.
(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

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB2336 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB2336 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
2336 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TREES .

Bill History

2026-02-19 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-02-19 S
Reported from GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2410) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-02-05 S
The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Gabbard, Moriwaki, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Hashimoto.
2026-02-03 S
The committee(s) on GVO deferred the measure until 02-05-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-01-30 S
The committee(s) on GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2026-01-26 S
Referred to GVO, WAM.
2026-01-21 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2026-01-15 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO TREES.
Trees; Public Lands; Arborists; Professionals; Contractors; Best Management Practices
Requires State departments, offices, and agencies to ensure and enforce that all arborists and other professionals in its employ, including contractors, who manage trees or lands that will impact public trees adhere to best management practices. Effective 7/1/2525. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2336

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2336

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to trees
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The
legislature finds that trees are essential for improving soil health and
building climate resiliency.
�
Trees
absorb carbon dioxide and supply oxygen, lower air temperatures, provide shade
and shelter, stabilize soil, prevent soil erosion, support the capture and
conservation of the State's water supply, help remediate pollutants, and cut
down on noise pollution by acting as sound barriers.

����
The legislature further finds that the
standards and best practices of the tree care industry not only reflect the
knowledge of specialists in the field and the latest in research findings, but
also raise the level of professionalism and public confidence in the field of
tree care.
�
All professional individuals
who plant, prune, transplant, fertilize, monitor and treat for insects and
diseases, and remove trees and other woody plants, have an obligation to
perform work that meets these industry standards and best practices.
�
The legislature notes that the State has a
duty to care for all trees on public lands, including forests and urban lands.

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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
require any State department, office, agency, or political subdivision that
manages trees to ensure that all arborists or other professionals in its employ
or under contract who manage trees or lands that will impact public trees to adhere
to best management practices.

����
SECTION 2.
�

Any State department, office, agency, or political subdivision that
manages trees shall require and enforce all arborists and other professionals
managing trees or lands that will impact public trees in its employ, including
contractors, to adhere to best management practices in tree management and
arboriculture-related care.

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For the purposes of this section,
"best management practices" means the American National Standards
Institute A300 Tree Care standards and associated best management practices.

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SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED
BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Trees;
Public Lands; Arborists; Professionals; Contractors; Best Management Practices

Description:

Requires
the State or political subdivision to ensure and enforce that all
arborists
and other professionals managing trees or lands that will impact public trees
in its employ, including contractors
,
adhere to best management practices.

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