Hawaii legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Hawaii HB2049: Relating to Housing.
Status: Failed, April 6, 2026
Restructures the conveyance tax to a marginal rate system for the sale of properties with residential use, adjusts the tax for multifamily properties to reflect value on a per-unit basis, and applies a cost-of-living adjustment to conveyance tax rates. Allocates revenues from conveyance tax collections. Allocates a portion of conveyance tax collections to the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund to fund infrastructure programs in county-designated transit-oriented development areas that meet minimum standards of transit-supportive density . Allocates a portion of conveyance tax revenues to the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust Fund.
What the bill says
A bill for an act relating to housing. part i.
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING. PART I SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State's transitoriented development strategic plan highlights a lack of infrastructure necessary to support affordable housing and mixed-use development near transit. Furthermore, the 2023 transit-oriented development infrastructure finance and delivery strategy, developed by the office of planning and sustainable development, identifies the current fragmented infrastructure funding process as a source of inequitable outcomes. The first recommendation of the report is to increase the conveyance tax on high-value, non-owner-occupied homes and allocate a portion of the revenue to finance infrastructure in transit-oriented development zones. The legislature also finds that the conveyance tax, a one time tax levied at the time of a property conveyance, is identified as an appropriate revenue source for affordable housing, infrastructure, land conservation, and homeless 2026-1981 HB2049 SDl SMA-l.docx iiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii Page 2 H.B. NO 2049 H.D. S.D. services. Despite dramatic increases in housing prices over the past seventeen years, the conveyance tax rates have not been updated since Act 59, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009. In fact, the State's conveyance tax remains significantly lower than comparable high-cost areas in the nation. The legislature recognizes that without reform, the current conveyance tax rate structure could disproportionately affect affordable multifamily housing, as high total property values for these complexes do not reflect the …
Sponsors
- Luke Evslin (D, 16) · primary sponsor
- Della Belatti (D, 26)
- Tina Grandinetti (D, 20)
- Daniel Holt (D, 28)
- Greggor Ilagan (D, 4)
- Kim Iwamoto (D, 25)
- Kirstin Kahaloa (D, 6)
- Jeanne Kapela (D, 5)
- Darius Kila (D, 44)
- Matthias Kusch (D, 1)
- Lisa Marten (D, 51)
- Daynette Morikawa (D, HD-017)
Latest actions
- : The committee on WAM deferred the measure.
- : The committee(s) on WAM deferred the measure until 04-06-26 10:31AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
- : Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
- : The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-26 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
- : Reported from WLA/HOU/HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3396) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
- : The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, Keohokalole; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Lamosao ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Ihara.
- : The committee(s) on WLA recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WLA were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Lee, C.; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Chang, Lamosao ; 2 No(es): Senator(s) Inouye, DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none.
- : The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Elefante ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Rhoads.
- : The committee(s) on WLA/HOU/HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 03-25-26 1:02PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.
- : Referred to WLA/HOU/HWN, WAM.
Votes
- WLA: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 25, 2026): 3 yea, 2 nay, passed
- HWN: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 25, 2026): 3 yea, 1 nay, passed
- HOU: recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 25, 2026): 4 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Amato, Chun, Cochran, Kitagawa, Lee, M (March 10, 2026): 43 yea, 7 nay, passed
- FIN: recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS (March 5, 2026): 15 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Cochran, Reyes Oda, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Gedeon, Matsumo (February 20, 2026): 44 yea, 6 nay, passed
Subjects: Report, Exemption, Housing, Appropriations, Penalties, Working Group, Counties, DLNR
Common questions
- What is HB2049?
- HB2049 is a bill in the Hawaii Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Relating to Housing.
- What does HB2049 do?
- In its own words: A bill for an act relating to housing. part i.
- What is the status of HB2049?
- Failed as of April 6, 2026. Latest action: The committee on WAM deferred the measure. (April 6, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB2049?
- Luke Evslin (D, 16), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB2049?
- On the Hawaii Legislature website: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2049&year=2026
Source: official Hawaii record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.