HawaiiHawaii sets aside money for transit, disaster response, and agencies
Hawaii authorizes up to $600 million from its transit fund and $100 million for disaster recovery and response in fiscal year 2026–2027.
What it does
The law sets aside up to $600 million from Hawaii's mass transit special fund for payments under the fund's rules in fiscal year 2026–2027.
Hawaii sets aside up to $100 million from general revenues for its major disaster fund and allows spending up to that amount on emergency recovery and response.
The governor may move up to $100 million of this disaster money to other agencies when essential to address an imminent emergency threat to public health, safety, or welfare.
Three Hawaii development organizations have a total of up to $8,340,291 set aside from state general revenues for operating costs in fiscal year 2026–2027.
Argument forMoving disaster money to agencies facing urgent needs could help the state respond quickly to threats to people's health or safety.
Argument againstThe governor could transfer disaster money before lawmakers review the reasons, limiting their chance to question spending before it happens.
More detail
The Department of Budget and Finance may spend up to $600 million from the mass transit special fund. The money comes from Hawaii's dedicated mass transit fund. Payments must follow section 248-2.7 of Hawaii law and serve the purposes of the mass transit special fund. Only as much as necessary may be spent; the law does not require spending the full $600 million. The law took effect July 1, 2026. This spending authority applies to fiscal year 2026–2027.
The state sets aside up to $100 million from general revenues for the major disaster fund and authorizes spending up to $100 million from that fund. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spends the disaster fund money on disaster recovery and response costs. Only as much of each amount as necessary may be used. Use of this money must stay strictly within the emergency's needs and end when the emergency ends or lawmakers act. Money covered by the disaster provisions that is not spent for their stated purpose returns to the general fund on June 30, 2027. The law took effect July 1, 2026. The deposit and spending authority apply to fiscal year 2026–2027.
The governor may transfer up to $100 million of this disaster money to other state agencies for disaster recovery costs. Transfers use the disaster spending already authorized by this law; they do not provide another $100 million. The governor must find in writing that the transfer or use is essential to address an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare arising from the emergency. The governor must notify lawmakers within five days of each use, or as soon as practical in urgent circumstances. The notice must include detailed reasons, the transfer date and amount, the receiving program's identifying code, and the transfer's purpose. The governor must submit a summary report at least 30 days before the 2027 regular session. It must cover each use during the previous December 1–November 30 period. This authority took effect July 1, 2026. Transfers and uses must stay strictly within the emergency's needs and end when the emergency ends or lawmakers act. Unspent money returns to the general fund June 30, 2027.
The law sets aside general revenues for operations: $4,762,987 for the Agribusiness Development Corporation, $2,592,854 for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, and $984,450 for the Hawaii Community Development Authority. The money covers state organizations working on agribusiness, technology development, and community development. Each named organization spends its own allocation for operations. Each amount is a maximum; only as much as necessary may be spent. The law took effect July 1, 2026. These operating allocations apply to fiscal year 2026–2027.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 5Act 099, 06/05/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1199).Latest
- Jun 5Act 099, on 06/05/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1199).Became Law
- May 8Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran voting no (1) and none excused (0).Major
- Vote recorded Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 2). Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 2. Result: pass.Lower
- May 8Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 2). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) San Buenaventura).Major
- May 8Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 820).Minor
- May 8Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 889).Minor
- May 8Transmitted to Governor.
- May 6Floor Amendment No. 9 offered by Rep. Todd.Minor
- May 6Floor amendment adopted as amended CD 2 with none voting no and none excused.Major
- May 6Forty-eight (48) hours notice Friday 05-08-26.
- May 6Floor Amendment No. 8 offered.Minor
- May 6Floor amendment adopted as amended (CD 2).Major
- May 6Separated Committee Report.
- May 6Report filed.
- May 648 Hrs. Notice 05-08-26
- May 1Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 1:00 PM; Conference Room 309.
- Vote recorded The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- May 1Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 3:30 PM; Conference Room 309.
- May 1Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 4:30 PM; Conference Room 309.
- May 1The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 2 Ayes: Representative(s) Takenouchi, Kitagawa; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Gedeon.Minor
- May 1The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Moriwaki, Hashimoto; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.Minor
- May 1Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 140-26) as amended in (CD 1).
- May 1Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.
- May 1Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 140-26).
- May 148 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26
- Apr 30Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 11:00AM; Conference Room 309.
- Apr 29Senate Conferees Changed: Senator Hashimoto added as Conferee. Senator Dela Cruz discharged as Chair. Senator Moriwaki discharged as Member; Added as Chair.
- Apr 29Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-30-26 11:00AM; CR 309.
- Apr 29Received notice of change in Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 792).Minor
- Apr 21Senate Conferees Appointed: Dela Cruz Chair; Moriwaki, Fevella.
- Apr 21Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 717).Minor
- Apr 20House Conferees Appointed: Takenouchi Chair; Kitagawa, Gedeon.
- Apr 20Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 786).Minor
- Apr 17Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 780).Minor
- Apr 16Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 16Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 709) in amended form (SD 2).
- Apr 16House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).Minor
- Apr 14Floor Amendment No. 6 offered.Minor
- Apr 14Floor amendment adopted as amended (SD 2).Major
- Apr 1448 Hrs. Notice 04-16-26
- Apr 9Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3664) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- Apr 9Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).Minor
- Apr 948 Hrs. Notice 04-14-26.
- Apr 6The 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, Richards, Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Lee, C..Minor
- Vote recorded The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 30The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 04-06-26 10:30AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.Minor
- Mar 27The committee(s) on WAM has rescheduled its public hearing to 03-30-26 10:30AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
- Mar 25The committee(s) on WAM has scheduled a public hearing on 03-30-26 10:00AM; CR 211 & Videoconference.
- Mar 12Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 386).Minor
- Mar 12Passed First Reading.Minor
- Mar 12Referred to WAM.Minor
- Mar 10Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Shimizu voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded Passed Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1016-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- Vote recorded Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 6Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Hashem, Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (4).
- Feb 19The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.Minor
- Vote recorded The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 02-19-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- Feb 9Received from Governor re: emergency appropriation (Gov. Msg. No. 3).Minor
- Jan 30Referred to FIN, referral sheet 5Minor
- Jan 28Introduced and Pass First Reading.Minor
- Jan 26Pending introduction.Introduced
Taxes & BudgetTransportationEmergency Management