SB438Introduced in the Senate
Relating To Waste Disposal Facilities.
Introduced by Donovan Cruz, District 17
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
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Official description
Prohibits landfill units on land in an agricultural district with class A soils. Beginning 7/1/2025, narrows the prohibition on constructing, modifying, or expanding waste or disposal facilities within a one-half mile buffer zone of residential, school, or hospital property lines to apply specifically to landfill units or components of landfill units. Beginning 7/1/2025, prohibits the construction, modification, or expansion of a landfill unit, or any component of a landfill unit, inland of an underground injection control line in a county with a population greater than five hundred thousand, with certain exemptions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)
Where it stands
Re-Referred to HHS/WLA, WAM.
April 17, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
SenateStage: Senate Ways and Means: Passed, With Amendments · February 26, 2025
13
Yes
0
No
0
Absent or Not Voting
13 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
What do people think?
Citizen Voice
How would you vote on this bill?
An unofficial public opinion poll. It does not affect the bill or the official vote.
One response per device. Location is self-reported and not verified. Results are informal and not a scientific survey.
See how each senator voted
| Senator | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Lorraine Inouye | 1 | Yes |
| Dru Kanuha | 3 | Yes |
| Troy Hashimoto | 5 | Yes |
| Lynn Decoite | 7 | Yes |
| Sharon Moriwaki | 12 | Yes |
| Donna Kim | 14 | Yes |
| Glenn Wakai | 15 | Yes |
| Brandon Elefante | 16 | Yes |
| Donovan Cruz | 17 | Yes |
| Michelle Kidani | 18 | Yes |
Bill history
Introduced.
Passed First Reading.
Referred to HHS/WTL, WAM.
The committee(s) on HHS/WTL has scheduled a public hearing on 02-10-25 1:05PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Elefante, Chang, McKelvey, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole.
Reported from HHS/WTL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 583) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
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 02-26-25 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 919) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25.
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 24; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 1 (Senator(s) DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 157) in amended form (SD 2).
Pass First Reading
Referred to EEP, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 19
Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 03-13-25 9:45AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1253) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with Representative(s) Kila, Lee, M., Marten voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia, Muraoka voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran, Holt, Iwamoto, Ward excused (4).
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 03-20-25 9:30AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1487) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kila, Lee, M., Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Muraoka voting no (1) and Representative(s) Cochran, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (5).
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 04-02-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2043) as amended in HD 3, recommending passage on Third Reading.
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-08-25.
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Amato, Iwamoto, Kila, Lee, M., Marten, Pierick, Reyes Oda voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kong, Muraoka, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 647).
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 779).
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Re-Referred to HHS/WLA, WAM.
Verify the information
- Official page on the Hawaii Legislature website
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Testimony (supplement)
- Testimony (supplement)
- Testimony (supplement)
- Testimony (supplement)
- Testimony (supplement)
- Introduced (text)
- Amended (text)
- Amended (text)
- Amended (text)
- Amended (text)
- Amended (text)
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