The People's Ledger
← All Hawaii bills

SB2694Introduced in the Senate

Relating To Water Carriers.

Passed

Introduced by Lorraine Inouye, District 1

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

Writing a plain-English summary of this bill… this can take a few seconds the first time.

Official description

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish automatic adjustment mechanisms to address economic factors sua sponte or on application by a water carrier. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a water carrier inflationary cost index automatic adjustment mechanism. Beginning 7/1/2026, through 6/30/2029, requires the Public Utilities Commission to apply automatic adjustment mechanisms. Beginning 7/1/2029, through 6/30/2033, authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to apply automatic adjustment mechanisms. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to waive or exempt any water carrier from any requirement under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Sunsets 7/1/2033. (CD1)

Where it stands

Act 016, on 05/19/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1116).

May 19, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House votes

1 recorded vote · each counted separately

Senate votes

4 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Senate Conference: Passed, With Amendments · May 1, 2026

5

Yes

0

No

0

Absent or Not Voting

5 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Lorraine Inouye1Yes
Lynn Decoite7Yes
Rachele Fernandez Lamosao19Yes
Brenton Awa23Yes
Jarrett Keohokalole24Yes

Bill history

  1. Introduced.

  2. Passed First Reading.

  3. Referred to CPN/TRS, WAM.

  4. The committee(s) on CPN/TRS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-18-26 9:45AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.

  5. The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in TRS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Kanuha, Lee, C.; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Elefante ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none.

  6. The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, Lamosao, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) McKelvey.

  7. Reported from CPN/TRS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2655) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

  8. Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

  9. The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 03-03-26 10:17AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

  10. The 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, Lee, C., Richards, Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

  11. Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2932) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).

  12. 48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26.

  13. 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.

  14. Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 282) in amended form (SD 2).

  15. Pass First Reading

  16. Referred to TRN, CPC, referral sheet 17

  17. Bill scheduled to be heard by TRN on Tuesday, 03-24-26 9:00AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  18. The committee(s) on TRN recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 03-27-26 at 10:30 AM.

  19. Bill scheduled for decision making on Friday, 03-27-26 10:30AM in conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  20. The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 6 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Miyake, Evslin, Grandinetti, Kitagawa, Cochran; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick.

  21. Reported from TRN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1559-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.

  22. Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan excused (4).

  23. Proposed draft of Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Thursday, 04-09-26 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  24. The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Grandinetti, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Lowen, Marten, Tam; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Kong; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Pierick; and Excused: none.

  25. Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2122-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.

  26. Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-14-26.

  27. Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran, Garcia, Gedeon, Ilagan, Iwamoto, Kapela, Lowen, Marten, Matsumoto, Pierick, Poepoe, Shimizu, Tam voting no (13) and Representative(s) Quinlan excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.

  28. Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 690).

  29. Senate disagrees with House amendments.

  30. Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 710).

  31. Re-referred to TRN, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 30

  32. House Conferees Appointed: Kila, Matayoshi, Todd Co-Chairs; Pierick.

  33. Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 787).

  34. Senate Conferees Appointed: Keohokalole Chair; Inouye, DeCoite Co-Chairs; Lamosao, Awa.

  35. Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 793).

  36. Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Friday, 05-01-26 9:30AM in conference room 329.

  37. Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 05-01-26 2:00 PM; Conference Room 224.

  38. The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Inouye, DeCoite, Lamosao, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

  39. The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Kila, Matayoshi, Todd; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.

  40. Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 232-26).

  41. 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-06-26.

  42. Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 232-26) as amended in (CD 1).

  43. Forty-eight (48) hours notice Wednesday, 05-06-26.

  44. Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.

  45. Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with Representative(s) Reyes Oda, Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato, Belatti, Cochran, Garcia, Gedeon, Grandinetti, Iwamoto, Kapela, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Lowen, Perruso, Pierick, Poepoe, Shimizu, Tam voting no (15) and Representative(s) Alcos excused (1).

  46. Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 816).

  47. Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 888).

  48. Enrolled to Governor.

  49. Act 016, 05/19/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1116).

  50. Act 016, on 05/19/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1116).

Verify the information

Our commitment to neutrality

We provide factual information only. We never tell you which politicians or bills to support, and we do not rank, score, or endorse anyone.