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SB 1461

RELATING TO STATE WATER CODE PENALTIES.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ron Kouchi

Hawaii bill SB 1461 revises State Water Code penalties to strengthen or adjust enforcement mechanisms for water law violations.

Re-Referred to WLA, JDC.
#cwrm #dlnr #penalties #statewatercode
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Bill Summary · SB 1461

Legislative bill overview

SB 1461 modifies penalties under Hawaii's State Water Code, though the specific penalty changes are not detailed in the available legislative history. The bill has been referred to the Water, Land and Agriculture (WTL) and Judiciary (JDC) committees, indicating it involves both water resource management and legal/enforcement mechanisms.

Why is this important

Water code penalties directly affect compliance with Hawaii's water management regulations, which are critical given the state's limited freshwater resources and competing demands from agriculture, municipalities, and environmental protection. Adjusting penalties can either strengthen enforcement of water laws or reduce regulatory burden on water users, making this substantively important for water policy in Hawaii.

Potential points of contention

  • Penalty magnitude: Whether increases or decreases to penalties are proportionate to violations and sufficient to deter non-compliance
  • Agricultural impact: How penalty changes affect the farming community, which relies heavily on water rights in Hawaii
  • Enforcement equity: Whether revised penalties are applied consistently across different water users (residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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