Authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for highway projects, as well as railroad, public transportation, or multimodal projects within t
Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Became law
Derived from the official record below.
Officially: “RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.” Read the full text
2025-2026 biennium
What it does
Authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for highway projects, as well as railroad, public transportation, or multimodal projects within the State, allowing streamlined environmental reviews. Provides a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to comply with federal requirements. (CD1)
From the official legislative record, shown verbatim. Not legal advice.
Where it is
Show all 53 actions
Pending Introduction. · Jan 26, 2026
Introduced. · Jan 28, 2026
Passed First Reading. · Jan 28, 2026
Referred to TRS/AEN, JDC. · Feb 2, 2026
The committee(s) on TRS/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-13-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference. · Feb 10, 2026
The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TRS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No( · Feb 13, 2026
The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, DeCoite, Rhoads, Awa; Aye(s) with reservatio · Feb 13, 2026
Reported from TRS/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2323) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC. · Feb 18, 2026
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC. · Feb 18, 2026
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 03-05-26 10:01AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference. · Feb 25, 2026
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with rese · Mar 5, 2026
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3050) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). · Mar 6, 2026
48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26. · Mar 6, 2026
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. · Mar 10, 2026
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 372) in amended form (SD 2). · Mar 10, 2026
Pass First Reading · Mar 12, 2026
Referred to TRN, EEP, JHA, referral sheet 17 · Mar 12, 2026
Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 03-17-26 9:30AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. · Mar 12, 2026
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Cochran, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka · Mar 17, 2026
Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1229-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to EEP. · Mar 19, 2026
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on EEP with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0). · Mar 19, 2026
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Tuesday, 03-24-26 10:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. · Mar 20, 2026
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Chun, Kusch, Matsumoto; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: · Mar 24, 2026
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1437-26), recommending referral to JHA. · Mar 30, 2026
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4). · Mar 30, 2026
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 04-02-26 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. · Mar 31, 2026
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with r · Apr 2, 2026
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1826-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading. · Apr 8, 2026
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Friday, 04-10-26. · Apr 8, 2026
Deferred one day 04-14-26. · Apr 10, 2026
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Cochran, Garcia, Poepoe voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate · Apr 14, 2026
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 756). · Apr 16, 2026
Senate disagrees with House amendments. · Apr 16, 2026
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710). · Apr 16, 2026
House Conferees Appointed: Kila, Lowen, Tarnas Co-Chairs; Muraoka. · Apr 20, 2026
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 787). · Apr 20, 2026
Senate Conferees Appointed: Inouye Chair; Gabbard, Rhoads Co-Chairs; DeCorte. · Apr 21, 2026
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 718). · Apr 21, 2026
Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-24-26 9:30AM; CR 329. · Apr 22, 2026
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Gabbard, Rhoads, DeCorte; Aye · Apr 24, 2026
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Lowen, Tarnas; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; a · Apr 24, 2026
Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 23-26). · Apr 29, 2026
48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-01-26. · Apr 29, 2026
Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 23-26) as amended in (CD 1). · Apr 29, 2026
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Friday, 05-01-26. · Apr 29, 2026
Deferred one day 05-06-26. · May 1, 2026
Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Fukunaga). · May 1, 2026
Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 814). · May 5, 2026
Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran, Iwamoto voting no (2) and none excused (0). · May 6, 2026
Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888). · May 8, 2026
Enrolled to Governor. · May 7, 2026
Act 038, 05/26/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1138). · May 26, 2026
Act 038, on 05/26/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1138). · May 26, 2026
The numbers
1
sponsor on the bill
Sponsors
KOUCHI (Introduced by request of another party)
Recorded votes
Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with noneHouse · 2026-05-06 · Aye(s) with reservations 0, Noes 2, Excused 0
Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1).Senate · 2026-05-01 · Ayes 24, Aye(s) with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 1
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows:Senate · 2026-04-24 · Aye(s) 4, Aye(s) with reservations 0, No(es) 0, Excused 0
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows:House · 2026-04-24 · Ayes 3, Ayes with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 1
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 withHouse · 2026-04-14 · Aye(s) with reservations 3, Noes 1, Excused 0
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:House · 2026-04-02 · Ayes 7, Ayes with reservations 1, Noes 0, Excused 2
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with noneHouse · 2026-03-30 · Aye(s) with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 4
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows:House · 2026-03-24 · Ayes 5, Ayes with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 2
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on EEP with noneHouse · 2026-03-19 · Aye(s) with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 0
The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:House · 2026-03-17 · Ayes 9, Ayes with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 0
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).Senate · 2026-03-10 · Ayes 25, Aye(s) with reservations 0, Noes 0, Excused 0
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows:Senate · 2026-03-05 · Aye(s) 5, Aye(s) with reservations 0, No(es) 0, Excused 0
The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows:Senate · 2026-02-13 · Aye(s) 5, Aye(s) with reservations 0, No(es) 0, Excused 0
The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TRS were as follows:Senate · 2026-02-13 · Aye(s) 3, Aye(s) with reservations 0, No(es) 0, Excused 2
Roll-call results shown verbatim from the Hawaii legislature’s records. A result reflects that roll call’s own motion, not the bill’s overall outcome.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Act 038, on 05/26/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1138). (May 26, 2026).