SB2971 • 2026

RELATING TO WATER STANDARDS.

Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: MCKELVEY (Introduced by request of another party)
Last action: 2026-02-03
Official status: Re-Referred to HHS/AEN, 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 WATER STANDARDS.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO WATER STANDARDS.
DOH; Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities; State R-1 Water Standards; Appropriation ($) By 1/1/2040, requires all municipal wastewater treatment facilities owned by a State or county agency to meet state R-1 water standards.
Requires the Department of Health to adopt five-year benchmarks to ensure compliance with state R-1 water standards.
Requires the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds.

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.

Bill History

2026-02-03 S
Re-Referred to HHS/AEN, WAM.
2026-01-30 S
Referred to HHS/AEN/EIG, WAM.
2026-01-26 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-01-23 S
Introduced.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO WATER STANDARDS.
DOH; Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities; State R-1 Water Standards; Appropriation ($)
By 1/1/2040, requires all municipal wastewater treatment facilities owned by a State or county agency to meet state R-1 water standards. Requires the Department of Health to adopt five-year benchmarks to ensure compliance with state R-1 water standards. Requires the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds. Appropriates funds.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB2971

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2971

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to water STANDARDS
.

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-
�
Municipal wastewater treatment facilities; state R-1
water standards
.
�
(a)
�
By
January 1, 2040, all wastewater effluent produced by a municipal wastewater
treatment facility owned by a State or county agency shall meet state R-1 water
standards.

����
(b)
�
The department shall:

����
(1)
�
Establish
benchmarks at five-year intervals for all municipal wastewater treatment
facilities owned by a State or county agency to ensure full compliance with
state R-1 water standards by January 1, 2040; and

����
(2)
�
Adopt
rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate the purposes of this section.

����
(c)
�
The legislature shall appropriate sufficient
funds necessary to ensure compliance with this section.

����
SECTION 2.
�

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

����
"
"State R-1 water
standards" means the applicable effluent water quality requirements for
R-1 recycled water as established in chapter 11-62, Hawaii Administrative Rules.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�

There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii
the sum of $ or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purposes of
this Act.

����
The sum appropriated shall be expended by
the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 4.
�

New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�

This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH; Municipal
Wastewater Treatment Facilities; State R-1 Water Standards; Appropriation

Description:

By
1/1/2040, requires all municipal wastewater treatment facilities owned by a
State or county agency to meet state R-1 water standards.
�
Requires the Department of Health to adopt
five-year benchmarks to ensure compliance with state R-1 water standards.
�
Requires the Legislature to appropriate
sufficient funds.
�
Appropriates funds.

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