Community Collab Top Bill Ideas for 2026

In October 2025,  CSC hosted a Bill-Outlining Collab for its members and community partners. We identified some new bill ideas, and some past bills that many would like to support this session. PDF Version

Agriculture and Food Systems

  • Requires the department of education to establish rules for the procurement of goods and services related to the administration of food programs at public schools that incorporate a geographic preference for unprocessed locally grown and locally raised food products

  • Increase funding

  • Increase funding and expand to include up to 300% FPL

Climate, Energy and Carbon Reduction

  • Establish a regulatory framework that allows apartment dwellers and renters to install small, affordable plug-in solar electricity systems without permits or hassle

  • Authorizes the Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund to be used to provide financial assistance to underserved ratepayers, in addition to other eligible borrowers.

  • Related to Solar Permitting and self-certification

  • Establishes a new solar rooftop mandate for new home construction

  • Establishes incentives for retailers to install solar canopies and carports

  • Expands the types of water heater systems that may satisfy the relevant requirement for the issuance of a building permit for new single-family dwellings to include ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters

  • Establishes a 5% biodiesel mandate for all on-road diesel sold in Hawaii. Locally produced, biodiesel is the only firm back-up which models the circular economy, benefits our state directly (jobs and revenue stay in Hawaii), and practices regenerative agriculture. In a recent study by the University of Southern California which compared the lifecycle analysis of electric vs. biodiesel buses in Hawaii, the biodiesel bus used 89% less water, 48% less energy, resulted in 40% lower GHG emissions, and even reported 7% lower maintenance costs!

Environmental Protection

  • Proposes an amendment to Article I of the state constitution to recognize and protect the inherent and inalienable right of all people to clean water and air, a healthful environment and climate, healthy native ecosystems and beaches.

Good Governance

  • Prohibits foreign entities and foreign-influenced business entities from making contributions, expenditures, electioneering communications, or donations for election purposes. Allows every business entity that contributes or expends funds in a state election to certify that the entity is not and will not be a foreign corporation or foreign-influenced business entity if the entity intends to make contributions or expenditures within an election cycle.

  • For purposes of the state ethics laws, subjects legislators to all ethics laws applicable to employees by including legislators within the definition of "employees". Repeals references to legislators under the state ethics laws made redundant by the inclusion.

  • Related to Campaign Spending:

  • Disallows the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser held by another candidate or committee.

  • Authorizes state agencies to implement automatic voter registration if designated by the Office of Elections. Requires eligible applicants for instruction permits, provisional licenses, driver's licenses, and identification cards to be automatically registered or preregistered to vote unless the applicant opts out.

  • Proposes an amendment to the Hawaiʻi State Constitution to provide that freedom of speech protected under the Hawaiʻi State Constitution does not include the expenditure of money to influence elections.

  • Repeals the Legislature's exemption under the State's open meetings law

  • Prohibits state or county grantees and officers and immediate family members of state or county contractors or grantees from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the contract. Requires any unlawful contribution to be returned to the contributor or it will escheat to the Hawaiʻi Election Campaign Fund. Requires disclosures of the names of any officers and immediate adult family members of a state or county contractor or grantee for contracts exceeding a certain amount

  • Related to

Health and Human Services

  • All businesses and employees covered; 16 weeks of leave; Workers restored to the same position; Progressive wage replacement: Those who earn less than half of the average weekly wage would receive 90% of their weekly earnings, while middle-income to higher-income workers would receive 50-75% of their weekly earnings, with a weekly cap.

Tax Equity/Progressive Revenue Generation

  • Establishes new tax bracket for Hawaii’s highest income earners

  • Creates a surtax to assess addl 3% tax on income >$500k single, $750k HH, $1M married

  • Increase capital gains tax for nonresident and foreign taxpayers; tax as ordinary income; amend the tax rate for corporations, estates and trusts.

  • Establishes a surcharge on the conveyance tax upon the net capital gain from the transfer or conveyance of agricultural land.

  • Disallows the dividends-paid deduction for real estate investment trusts.

  • Amends the exclusion amount of Hawaiʻi's estate tax. Repeals exemption for tax imposed on transfer of taxable estate located in Hawaiʻi for nonresidents and nonresidents who are not citizens.

  • Reverse/freeze income tax cuts for high income earners

Consumer Protections & Equity

  • Requires individual managing agents and employees of entity managing agents to be licensed and imposes certain duties on these individuals

Water and Land

  • Requires lessees to be in good standing prior to lease renewal