2026 Legislative Session Bills
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March 9, 2026 Active Priority Bills
The 2026 Legislature has been in session for seven weeks of the fifteen week session. The First Decking deadline on March 6 has passed, and many bills have “died” because they did not meet this deadline to be heard or a previous one or were voted down in committee.
Unfortunately, our top priority, carbon cashback, has met that fate, but bills in most of our other priority areas are continuing to advance.
The First Decking deadline marks the end of committee work in each chamber in the first half of the session. House bills that pass the First Decking deadline are voted on by the entire House, and a similar process happens in the Senate. Bills that are approved by one chamber “cross over” to the other.
As of First Decking on March 6, these are Carbon Cashback Hawai‘i’s priority bills that are still alive.
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Carbon Cashback Hawai‘i has broadened its advocacy efforts beyond carbon cashback to include other measures that reduce the cost of our energy transition and lead us toward energy independence.
Here are our 2026 legislative session priorities and bills:
Carbon Cashback (flyer)
Put a fee on fossil fuel pollution and return the revenues to taxpayers as equal-share rebates, cutting emissions and financially benefitting most households, particularly lower-income families
These bills also reestablishes the agricultural development and food security special fund
This bill does not reestablish the special fund
Balcony Solar (flyer) (Honolulu Star-Advertiser Island Voices)
These bills allow apartment dwellers and renters to install small, affordable plug-in solar electricity systems without permits or hassle
HB 2486 (M. Lee)
SB 2940 (McKelvey)
SB 2902 (Wakai)
HB 2609 (La Chica)
SB 2303 (Fukunaga)
SB 3003 (C. Lee)
HB 2435 (Poepoe)
Cleaner Electricity Generation - RPS
This bill strengthens Hawai‘i’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to ensure only clean energy sources qualify as “renewables”
2026-0349 HB SMA-1
Transition to Clean Vehicles
This bill provides clean-vehicle purchase rebates for both lower-income individuals and high-mileage drivers, or “gasoline superusers”
These bills provide clean-vehicle purchase rebates for low- and moderate-income individuals
This bill allocates additional funds to the electric vehicle charging system rebate program
Streamline Rooftop Solar Permitting
This bill streamlines permitting to allow qualified professionals to approve the start of installation of home energy projects like rooftop solar
This bill establishes a grid-ready home interconnection process that supports the rapid adoption of clean energy technologies
Adds sales disclosure and other requirements for “solar energy device”
Establishes a self‑certification process for behind‑the‑meter, customer‑sited solar distributed energy resource systems
Healthy Soils Program
These bills establishe and fund a program that supports farmers with tools and knowledge for soil practices that capture carbon