Senate Committee on Ways and Means advances executive budget bill

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Monday passed House Bill 300 Senate Draft 1, which outlines the Executive Branch state budget for the upcoming fiscal years. The bill includes funding for both the State’s operating and capital improvement budgets for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. 

Following the latest downward forecast from the Council on Revenues and amidst ongoing economic uncertainty, the WAM committee has adopted a budget that it says maintains essential services for the state’s most vulnerable populations and proactively expands the economy through strategic investments in emerging sectors.

With potential cuts in federal funding and policy changes that could result in broader economic challenges, the Senate reports it remains committed to fostering economic resilience and advancing meaningful solutions that Hawaiʻi’s communities need to thrive. 

A summary of totals included in the approved budget are as follows:

• Operating Budget:
  • For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the operating budget totals almost $10.44 billion in general funds and about $19.93 billion across all financing sources. 
  • For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the operating budget totals around $10.42 billion in general funds and almost $19.74 billion across all financing sources. 
• Capital Improvement Budget:
  • For Fiscal Year 2025-2026, the capital improvement budget includes about $1.56 billion in general obligation bond funds and around $3.72 billion from all financing sources. 
  • For Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the capital improvement budget includes over $339.5 million in general obligation bond funds and about $2.05 billion from all financing sources. 

“The Senate continues to prioritize investments that foster systems within our island home to sustain essential services, including access to food, healthcare, and housing,” said Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz (Senate District 17 –  portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipiʻo Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village), WAM chair. “This budget makes strategic appropriations to invest into our local regional economies to drive economic growth statewide. This wholistic approach will help to diversify our economy, create high-paying local jobs, and reverse the brain drain. Together, we can make Hawaiʻi a place where locals can live, learn, work, and play.”

“In these times of uncertainty, we focused on the essentials: health and safety, compliance, infrastructure, and maintaining and modernizing state assets,” stated Sen. Sharon Y. Moriwaki (Senate District 12 – Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, McCully), vice-chair of WAM. “We’ve also focused on our Senate priorities of affordable housing, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and economic development and diversification including agricultural innovations.” 

Budget allocations in line with this year’s Senate priorities:

Education and Workforce Development

1. Add one position and $55,068 in FY26 and $110,136 in FY27 to advance financial literacy education initiatives statewide
2. Add 2 positions and $220,272 in FY26 and FY27 for educational programming for students in residential facilities and for neglected/delinquent youth
3. Add $1,450,000 in FY26 and FY27 to address healthcare workforce shortages in collaboration with DOE
4. Add four positions and $947,736 in FY26 and FY27 to provide career foundations across core and emerging industries, in collaboration with the McKinley Community School for Adults and the Business Development and Support Division
5. Add 11 positions and $1,243,212 in FY26 and $1,468,488 in FY27 to address nursing shortages statewide
6. Add $15,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to help improve access to quality healthcare in underserved areas
7. Add $1,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute in UH Community College Systems to develop pathways for workforce development
8. Add $4,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Hoakea Program, in partnership with the Polynesian Voyaging Society
9. Add $465,000 in FY26 and FY27 for differentials for Charter Schools teachers, including for hard-to-fill and Hawaiian Immersion teachers
10. Add 58 positions and $5,027,927 in FY26 and 108 positions and $8,236,302 in FY27 for the Lieutenant Governor’s Ready Keiki initiative, which aims to expand access to pre-school statewide

Housing, Homelessness, and Stabilizing Hawaiʻi’s Property Insurance Market

1. Add $4,100,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help offenders reintegrate into society, including by providing replacement vital documents, mental health treatment services, substance abuse treatment services, and transitional housing
2. Add $1,550,000 in FY26 and FY27 for Family Assessment Centers for homeless families with minor children
3. Add $3,750,000 in FY26 and FY27 for Housing First Program to provide transitional housing to individuals who frequent healthcare services and the criminal justice system
4. Add $1,750,000 in FY26 and FY27 for Homeless Outreach Services to collaborate with state agencies to transition individuals into long-term housing solutions
5. Add $5,000,000 in FY26 to support State agencies to address homeless encampments on State lands
6. Add $3,750,000 in FY26 and FY27 for Rapid Re-housing Program which provides supportive services to families
7. Add $250,000 in FY26 and FY27 for State Rent Supplement Program to provide housing subsidies for low-income families
8. Increase State Low-Income Housing revolving fund ceiling to add 2 positions and $160,478 in FY26 and $300,356 in FY27 to assist with Public Housing programs
9. Add one position and $100,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the 99-year leasehold program, which aims to develop low-cost residential condominium units for first-time homebuyers
10. Increase special fund ceiling by $200,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for distribution of insurance proceeds from the Maui wildfires

General Governance and Constitutional Rights

1. Add $200,000 in FY26 and $220,000 in FY27 for IT accessibility implementation in the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in consultation with the Disability and Communication Assess Board
2. Increase special fund ceiling by $5,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to expand 911 services to new and emerging technologies
3. Add two positions and $440,000 in FY26 and FY27 to establish the Immigrant Services and Access Unit to promote economic self‑sufficiency, community inclusion, and integration
4. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 to improve paid family and medical leave
5. Add $250,000 in FY26 and $264,000 in FY27 for the Silver Alert Program, which helps protect vulnerable kupuna and persons with cognitive impairments or developmental disabilities
6. Add eight positions and $5,042,937 in FY26 and $2,292,014 in FY27 to create the Explosives Enforcement Section to help stop the importation of illegal fireworks
7. Add one position and $200,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help incorporate language access laws into disaster management plans
8. Add six positions and $876,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Office of Wellness and Resilience to continue Hawaiʻi’s largest statewide health survey ever, as well as the largest dataset using the Center for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Worker Well-being Questionnaire.
9. Add $125,000 in FY26 for medical transportation across rural Oahu
10. Add two positions and $612,210 in FY26 and $1,694,644 in FY27 to expand critical State services to blind and visually impaired residents of the neighbor islands

Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure

1. Add 44 positions and $13,324,731 in both fiscal years for biosecurity
2. Add 7.5 positions and $422,604 in in both fiscal years to operate and maintain irrigation systems statewide
3. Add $200,000 in FY26 and FY27 to minimize the spread of rat lungworm disease
4. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 and FY27 for overtime payments within the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement
5. Add 21 positions and $4,967,103 in FY26 and $2,002,972 in FY27 to protect the natural resources of our State
6. Add one position and $110,000 in FY26 and FY27, and increase special fund ceiling by $5,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to revitalize plantation-era reservoirs statewide
7. Add $500,000 in FY26 for climate change assessments in community development districts
8. Increase federal fund ceiling by $393,600 in FY26 and $442,800 in FY27 for three positions for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which aims to expand high-speed internet access to Native Hawaiian households
9. Add $15,000,000 in FY26 for fire mitigation on highways statewide
10. Increase revolving fund ceiling by $11,591,397 in FY26 for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits

Agricultural Innovation and Other Revenue Streams

1. Add $2,058,118 for the Agribusiness Development Corporation to support local farmers, in collaboration with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience
2. Add $2,000,000 in FY26 to supplement the revolving fund to keep irrigation water rates affordable for local farmers
3. Add $865,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help local entrepreneurs expand to global markets
4. Add $4,150,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the First Lady’s Feeding Hawaiʻi Keiki initiative, in collaboration with the DOE and CTAHR
5. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 to establish the Smart Food Program that will allow Hawaiʻi food producers and retailers to make specific food items available at discounts to SNAP recipients
6. Add $4,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to cement Hawaiʻi’s position as the gateway between the East and the West
7. Add one position and $35,508 in FY26 and $71,016 in FY27 for the Hawaiʻi Film Office
8. Add two positions and $66,888 in FY26 and $133,776 in FY27 for the Academy of Creative Media
9. Add $126,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Small Business Coordinator, to help ensure equal opportunity for businesses owned by veterans, Native Hawaiians, and women
10. Add one position and $57,500 in FY26 and $115,000 in FY27 for antitrust laws and the promotion of a fair and competitive economy

Budget allocations for State Departments include:

Department of Agriculture

1. Add 44 positions and $13,324,731 in both fiscal years for biosecurity
2. Add 7.5 positions and $422,604 in in both fiscal years to operate and maintain irrigation systems statewide
3. Add $2,000,000 in FY26 to supplement the revolving fund to keep irrigation water rates affordable for local farmers
4. Add $100,000 and 1 Grant Writer position to capitalize on extramural funding

Department of Accounting and General Services

1. Add one position and $2,550,000 in FY26 and $4,800,000 in FY27 to expand access to Boards and Commissions meetings
2. Add $200,000 in FY26 and $220,000 in FY27 for IT accessibility implementation in the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in consultation with the Disability and Communication Assess Board
3. Add $1,600,000 in FY26 and FY27 for cybersecurity risk mitigation efforts
4. Add $310,000 in FY26 and $325,000 in FY27 for cloud backup and disaster recovery solutions
5. Add two positions, and $1,088,500 in FY26 and $1,167,000 in FY27 to establish the Cemetery Management Office
6. Add $126,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Small Business Coordinator, to help ensure equal opportunity for businesses owned by veterans, Native Hawaiians, and women
7. Add two positions and $2,115,000 in FY26 and $380,000 in FY27 for the Campaign Spending Commission to upgrade electronic voting systems
8. Increase special fund ceiling by $5,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to expand 911 services to new and emerging technologies
9. Increase special fund ceiling by $200,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for distribution of insurance proceeds from the Maui wildfires

Department of the Attorney General

1. Add two positions and $196,863 in FY26 and $271,445 in FY27 for the Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission to help ensure a comprehensive offender re-entry program
2. Add two positions and $152,767 in FY26 and $305,531 in FY27 for the Medical Fraud Unit
3. Add one position and $57,500 in FY26 and $115,000 in FY27 for antitrust laws and the promotion of a fair and competitive economy
4. Add one position and $57,500 in FY26 and $115,000 in FY27 to help uphold child protection laws and support the Office of Youth Services
5. Add $3,070,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help ensure pay equity for Deputy Attorney General positions

Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism

1. Add $1,450,000 in FY26 and FY27 to address healthcare workforce shortages in collaboration with DOE
2. Add $250,000 in FY26 and FY27 to provide career foundations in collaboration with DOE’s community schools for adults
3. Add $865,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help local entrepreneurs expand to global markets
4. Add $4,150,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the First Lady’s Feeding Hawaiʻi Keiki initiative, in collaboration with the DOE and CTAHR
5. Add $4,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to cement Hawaiʻi’s position as the gateway between the East and the West
6. Add one position and $35,508 in FY26 and $71,016 in FY27 for the Hawaiʻi Film Office
7. Add $500,000 in FY26 for climate change assessments in community development districts
8. Add $2,058,118 to support local farmers, in collaboration with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience

Department of Budget and Finance

1. Add one position and $983,500 in FY26 and $592,600 in FY27 to safeguard the State’s $24 billion assets for the Employees’ Retirement System
2. Increase trust fund ceiling by 143,719 in FY26 and $287,438 in FY27 for one Investment Officer to help maintain post-employment benefits, including healthcare
3. Add $1,653,691 in FY26 and FY27 to help ensure pay equity for positions within the Office of the Public Defender

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

1. Increase special fund ceiling by:
   • $12,000,000 to renovate the historic King Kalakaua Building
   • $58,233 in FY26 and $116,466 in FY27 for 1 Auditor for the Public Utilities Commission to address rate payer affordability and renewable portfolio standards

Department of Defense

1. Add $230,000 in FY26 for critical telecommunications infrastructure
2. Add $2,037,196 in FY26 and FY27 to help ensure pay equity for positions at the Youth Challenge Academy
3. Add one position and $200,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help incorporate language access laws into disaster management plans

Department of Education

1. Add $4,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Hoakea Program, in partnership with the Polynesian Voyaging Society
2. Add $726,100 in FY26 and FY27 to make girls flag football a sport
3. Add $63,082 in FY26 and FY27 for neighbor island student participation in JROTC competition
4. Add two positions and $220,272 in FY26 and FY27 for educational programming for students in residential facilities and for neglected/delinquent youth
5. Add $10,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for skilled nursing services for individuals with disabilities
6. Add $1,700,000 in FY26 and FY27 to increase access to mental health and well- being support systems
7. Add four positions and $697,736 in FY26 and FY27 to provide career foundations across core and emerging industries, in collaboration with the McKinley Community School for Adults
8. Add $4,125,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Farm to School mandate, which aims to locally source 30% of DOE school meals by 2030
9. Add $500,000 in FY26 and $250,000 in FY27 for an automated handing system that utilizes radio-frequency identification for all Public Libraries
10. Add $465,000 in FY26 and FY27 for differentials for Charter Schools teachers, including for hard-to-fill and Hawaiian Immersion teachers
11. Add 58 positions and $5,027,927 in FY26 and 108.00 positions and $8,236,302 in FY27 for the Lieutenant Governor’s Ready Keiki initiative, which aims to expand access to pre-school statewide

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

1. Increase federal fund ceiling by $393,600 in FY26 and $442,800 in FY27 for three positions for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which aims to expand high-speed internet access to Native Hawaiian households

Department of Human Services

1. Add six positions and $876,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Office of Wellness and Resilience to continue Hawaiʻi’s largest statewide health survey ever, as well as the largest dataset using the Center for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Worker Well-being Questionnaire.
2. Increase special fund ceiling by $225,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Hospital Sustainability Program
3. Increase special fund ceiling by $35,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program
   • These recurring appropriations sustain public-private partnerships to provide care to the most vulnerable populations in the State
4. Add $750,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Child Wellness Incentive Pilot Program
5. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 to establish the Smart Food Program that will allow Hawaiʻi food producers and retailers to make specific food items available at discounts to SNAP recipients
6. Add two positions and $612,210 in FY26 and $1,694,644 in FY27 to expand critical State services to blind and visually impaired residents of the neighbor islands

Department of Human Resources Development1. Add $1,750,000 in FY26 to help ensure pay equity for civil service jobs across the State

Department of Health

1. Add $125,000 in FY26 for medical transportation across rural Oʻahu
2. Add $8,600,000 in FY26 and $18,400,000 in FY27 for Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
3. Add $5,500,000 in FY26 to expand the number of psychiatric beds at the Hawaiʻi State Hospital
4. Add $1,600,000 in FY26 and FY27 for a second medic station and ambulance on Molokaʻi
5. Add three positions and $192,408 in FY26 and FY27 for the Senior Medicare Patrol Program to protect kupuna from medical fraud and scams
6. Add $1,700,000 in FY26 and FY27 for reproductive health and family planning services
7. Add $15,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 for the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to help improve access to quality healthcare in underserved areas

Department of Law Enforcement

1. Add eight positions and $5,042,937 in FY26 and $2,292,014 in FY27 to create the Explosives Enforcement Section to help stop the importation of illegal fireworks
2. Add $825,000 in FY26 to help prevent gun violence
3. Add $250,000 in FY26 and FY27 for de-escalation training for law enforcement officers
4. Add $250,000 in FY26 and $264,000 in FY27 for the Silver Alert Program, which helps protect vulnerable kupuna and persons with cognitive impairments or developmental disabilities

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

1. Add two positions and $440,000 in FY26 and FY27 to establish the Immigrant Services and Access Unit to promote economic self‑sufficiency, community inclusion, and integration
2. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 to improve paid family and medical leave
3. Add two positions and $76,996 in FY26 and $130,592 in FY27 to enforce temporary disability insurance and prepaid healthcare laws

Department of Land and Natural Resources

1. Add one position and $110,000 in FY26 and FY27, and increase special fund ceiling by $5,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to revitalize plantation-era reservoirs statewide
2. Add $1,500,000 in FY26 and FY27 for overtime payments within the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement
3. Add 21 positions and $4,967,103 in FY26 and $2,002,972 in FY27 to protect the natural resources of our State

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

1. Add $112,000 in FY26 and FY27 to provide trauma-informed care training for uniformed and non-uniformed staff
2. Add $4,100,000 in FY26 and FY27 to help offenders reintegrate into society, including by providing replacement vital documents, mental health treatment services, substance abuse treatment services, and transitional housing

Department of Taxation

1. Add 338,150 in FY26 and $593,400 in FY27 for the Tax System Modernization Project

Department of Transportation

• Add $15,000,000 in FY26 for fire mitigation on highways statewide
• Add $5,000,000 in FY26 to support State agencies to address homeless encampments on State lands

University of Hawaiʻi

1. Add 11 positions and $1,243,212 in FY26 and $1,468,488 in FY27 to address nursing shortages statewide
2. Add $200,000 in FY26 and FY27 to minimize the spread of rat lungworm disease
3. Add two positions and $66,888 in FY26 and $133,776 in FY27 for the Academy of Creative Media
4. Add $1,000,000 in FY26 and FY27 to establish the Aloha Intelligence Institute in UH Community College Systems to develop pathways for workforce development
5. Add two positions and $210,150 in FY26 and FY27 for Windward Community College’s Mental Health Technician Certificate of Competence Program, in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi State Hospital