[{"_1":2,"_76":-5,"_77":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6306824,"mediaKeyId","2436547-fef6149bf13c7563ee02f2e85046d393","parentId",2436547,"title","Senate joint committees adopt wide slate of bills; wildfire prevention, Oahu Regional Healthcare System transfer and stadium funding among measures advanced","audioSeconds",281,"startMs",2738000,"endMs",3019000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2436547-fef6149bf13c7563ee02f2e85046d393&start=2738&end=3019","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2436547-fef6149bf13c7563ee02f2e85046d393/thumbnail_2738000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6306824/Hawaii/Senate-joint-committees-adopt-wide-slate-of-bills-wildfire-prevention-Oahu-Regional-Healthcare-System-transfer-and-stadium-funding-among-measures-advanced","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306824-eca795facba556ede10652d2c5d42986/orig.mp4?Expires=1771019980&Signature=Nb6RN1EOqn9WUC28Hw-jh7xVnvPnZ3mHF83pIO3mVMm9Pw3FwMDcyzMUmuWrFu67p~gMuhiEmWd1IT6m2m01iMQ04pWQfwN3qHHE9azcBW9wTqdHEkxK5RACyiCMDDT6~N0Y4ye8P32stcP0lfGm7wwcmFkOW8KZvJzIw~rJt8lH11ZvBX3-rS3bhjHKTx973donvgemGPEtxLXfTaKeo9ku7uy1Xc8Uy0NcXw4gHMsq8~EgMP0cBbF80IYLpB-6tW5CpVn62q~NQjHYC8lBMo9img6hA35RIVKFppz~1BakD8q3UKKoVom4aZJp3ptRSI0SzaH2UDRIGt8GCVPUzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Committee on Judiciary","date","2025-02-22T03:34:27Z","article","During a joint session of the Senate Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, members voted to adopt a broad package of measures covering wildfire prevention, parking enforcement, health-system transfers, consumer protections for emotional support animals, utilities and wildfire liability, and stadium funding and donations. The committees recorded recommendations to pass most measures either unamended or with amendments and, where noted in the transcript, adopted those recommendations.

The most substantive discussions addressed wildfire prevention (SB 223), the transfer and operational arrangements for the Oahu Regional Healthcare System (SB 1441), draft changes tied to a Wildfire Liability Trust Fund and related electric-utility provisions (SB 897), and the handling of private donations and a spending ceiling for the proposed stadium (SB 1589). Committee leadership repeatedly noted that many appropriations in the bills were left blank in committee as the exact amounts or funding sources were still to be determined.

SB 223: wildfire prevention and State Fire Code
SB 223 would require the State Fire Council to amend the State Fire Code to require owners and occupants in designated hazardous-fire areas to maintain effective fire breaks. The committee recommended passing SB 223 with amendments that (1) add a statutory subsection identified in the transcript as section 1585-1.5 directing the department to establish an independent program for prevention, control and extinguishment of wildland fires within forest reserves, and (2) add powers for the administrator to maintain facilities for fire protection and related activities. The committee report will also insert a blank appropriation amount for fiscal years noted as '26–'27. Committee members recorded no objections at the time the recommendation was adopted.

SB 1441: Oahu Regional Healthcare System and Department of Health arrangements
The committees recommended passage of amendments to SB 1441 that would alter prior transfer language and require a formal agreement between the Oahu Regional Healthcare System and the Department of Health. As described on the record, the amendment would (a) revert the bill toward repealing the transfer of the Oahu Regional Healthcare System from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to DOH, and (b) mandate a memorandum of agreement no later than 11/30/2025 with patient care to begin by 12/31/2025. The memorandum would address transfers and use of portions of the Leahi facility and related patient-transfer arrangements. The bill also directs a report to the Legislature no later than 40 days before the start of the 2026 session. The committee adopted the recommendation with all members present and no recorded reservations.

SB 897: Wildfire Liability Trust Fund, utility contributions and related changes
SB 897 drew extended discussion during the Ways and Means portion of the hearing. The committee recommended passage with substantial amendments, including moving a trust fund from one agency to another, changing appointment and hiring authorities, allowing securitization for investor-owned utility contributions, removing certain payment options for contributors, and inserting language requiring the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to set standards for replacing fossil-fired resources with firm renewable sources. Committee members asked about cost impacts to ratepayers and whether shareholders would shoulder portions of the initial bond; the transcript records that these funding splits were still to be determined and that some dollar amounts remained blank. Reservations were recorded for multiple senators; the record lists reservations for Senator Inouye, Senator Kidani, Senator DeCoite, Senator Bevela (partial name in transcript), and Senator Kim. The measure otherwise was adopted by the committee with recorded reservations.

SB 1009: reserved parking enforcement fines
The committees recommended passing SB 1009 with amendments requested by the Disability and Communication Access Board. The amendment would apply a $100 court cost or state reserved-parking-space enforcement fine across specified violations and clarify that the fine is additional, to be enforced and collected by district courts and deposited in the Safe Routes to School special fund (transcript wording: “Safe Routes to School Grama Special Fund”). The recommendation was adopted with no recorded objections on the floor of the committee.

SB 1589 and stadium funding/donations
The committees recommended passing amendments to a bill that would govern private donations given to the state authority overseeing the stadium. The bill would require private donations to be deposited into a specified special fund and restrict use of those funds to stadium infrastructure and development costs. Committee discussion noted that roughly $49.5 million had been budgeted for the project but could not be spent because of an existing ceiling; the amendments in committee would lift the ceiling while adding conditions and oversight. Members asked which existing funds had paid DAGS contractors and consultants; committee staff committed to providing those details. The recommendation was adopted with reservations recorded by some members.

Other measures and votes at a glance
The committee took action on a large number of additional bills. Many were adopted with no substantive floor debate recorded in the transcript; several were passed with technical or legislative reference bureau (LRB) technical amendments, or with defective/effective dates inserted by the committee. Where the transcript recorded an explicit objection or single no vote, that is noted below.

Votes at a glance (bill — committee recommendation — outcome / recorded reservation or no vote if noted):
- SB 414 — pass with amendments (appropriation language amended) — adopted
- SB 223 — pass with amendments — adopted (see details above)
- SB 1009 — pass with amendments (parking enforcement) — adopted
- SB 1149 — pass unamended — adopted (one recorded no vote: Senator Wahl)
- SB 1402 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1441 — pass with amendments (ORHS/DOH agreement) — adopted (see details above)
- SB 1442 — pass with amendments — adopted
- SB 1478 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1493 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 589 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1419 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1431 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1456 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1473 — pass with amendments (central services transfer percentage reduced) — adopted
- SB 1638 — pass with amendments (DOT appropriation targeted) — adopted
- SB 71 — pass with amendments — adopted
- SB 103 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 177 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 298 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 378 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 479 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 657 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 897 — pass with extensive amendments (Wildfire Liability Trust Fund; utility changes) — adopted with recorded reservations (Inouye; Kidani; DeCoite; Bevela; Kim)
- SB 960 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 961 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 989 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1043 — pass with LRB tech amendments — adopted
- SB 1120 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1377 — pass with LRB tech amendments — adopted
- SB 1395 — pass with amendments (EBRF interest direction and related deletions) — adopted (members voted with reservation recorded in transcript)
- SB 1396 — pass with amendments (TAT/EBRF language changes; governor to include amounts in executive budget) — adopted with reservations noted
- SB 1418 — recommendation to defer — deferred
- SB 1448 — pass with amendments (damages/settlements to general fund; blank appropriation) — adopted
- SB 1501 — pass with amendments (step-in agreements; fund outside the State Treasury; definitions updated) — adopted
- SB 1526 (listed as SA 15 26 in the transcript) — pass with LRB tech amendments — adopted
- SB 1541 — pass unamended — adopted
- SB 1589 — pass with amendments (stadium donations to special fund; conditions on spending ceiling) — adopted with reservations recorded
- SB 944 — pass with amendments (add sunset to section 1 to July 2030; adjust defective date) — adopted

What the record shows and what it does not
The transcript records committee recommendations and the committee chairs’ calls for recorded ayes or reservations, but it often leaves appropriation amounts, percentages, or specific blanked figures unspecified on the record (the transcript repeatedly notes “blank appropriation” or “blank percentage”). Where the transcript indicates a named, recorded reservation or a named no vote, that is included above. The transcript also records committee direction to include certain clarifications in committee reports (for example, future statutory language review for child and adolescent mental health services in SB 1442).

Next steps and reporting requirements
Several bills adopted in committee include specific follow-up deadlines or reporting obligations placed on agencies in the committee amendments. Notably, SB 1441 requires a memorandum of agreement by 11/30/2025 and patient care to start by 12/31/2025, plus a report to the Legislature 40 days prior to the 2026 session. The committees also left several appropriation amounts and percentages blank for future determination.

Ending
Committee leadership closed the hearing after adopting the listed recommendations and noting that written testimony is available on the Legislature’s website. The committees also stated that, if technical difficulties forced an abrupt adjournment, members would reconvene to complete business.

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Senate joint committees adopt wide slate of bills; wildfire prevention, Oahu Regional Healthcare System transfer and stadium funding among measures advanced