---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT."
description: "Clarifies that the prohibition against discharging wastewater or raw sewage into state waters after 12/31/2026 includes treatment plants. Repeals the exemption from the prohibition for treatment plants that utilize sewage to produce clean energy. (HD3)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 946"
citation: "Hawaii SB 946 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Discharge", "Prohibition", "Raw Sewage", "Treatment Plants", "Wastewater"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["CHANG", "HASHIMOTO"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 42
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2025-01-17"
last_action: "2025-05-16"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2d73ba0a-2c06-4991-9cd8-cb0b41552d8d"
source_url: "https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=946&year=2025"
source_hash: "38beda9fcb34ea9a01af5690f8122657abfbfd0c79a145e451743b1acdb76221"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii SB 946 (2025) — RELATING TO WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT.

Clarifies that the prohibition against discharging wastewater or raw sewage into state waters after 12/31/2026 includes treatment plants. Repeals the exemption from the prohibition for treatment plants that utilize sewage to produce clean energy. (HD3)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **SB946** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_.HTM)
2. **SB946_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_HD1_.HTM)
3. **SB946_HD2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_HD2_.HTM)
4. **SB946_HD3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_HD3_.HTM)
5. **SB946_SD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_SD1_.HTM)
6. **SB946_SD2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/SB946_SD2_.HTM)

## Votes

- Reconsider: The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **8–1** (pass) · lower
- Reconsider: Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). — **23–2** (pass) · upper
- The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · upper
- Passed Final Reading. — **23–2** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- CHANG — primary (person)
- HASHIMOTO — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-05-16** Act 060, on 05/16/2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1160). `became-law`
- **2025-05-16** Act 060, 05/16/2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1160). `became-law`
- **2025-04-21** Enrolled to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-21** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 845). `receipt`
- **2025-04-21** Passed Final Reading. Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). `passage`
- **2025-04-21** Received notice of reconsideration and Senate agreement (Sen. Com. No. 832). `receipt`
- **2025-04-17** One Day Notice 04-21-25
- **2025-04-17** Senate agrees with House amendments. Placed on the calendar for Final Reading on 04-21-25.
- **2025-04-17** Reconsideration of action taken on 04-08-25 in disagreeing to the House amendments.
- **2025-04-08** Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 774). `receipt`
- **2025-04-08** Senate disagrees with House amendments. `amendment-failure`
- **2025-04-08** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 589). `introduction, receipt`
- **2025-04-04** Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Amato, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Muraoka, Pierick voting no (4) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2025-04-02** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Friday, 04-04-25.
- **2025-04-02** Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1786) as amended in HD 3, recommending passage on Third Reading.
- **2025-03-27** The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Todd. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-25** Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Thursday, 03-27-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-03-20** Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Amato, Garcia, Muraoka, Shimizu voting no (5) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
- **2025-03-20** Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1405) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
- **2025-03-18** The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Iwamoto, Morikawa, Poepoe, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 1 Noes: Representative(s) Shimizu; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-14** Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Tuesday, 03-18-25 10:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-03-14** Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on WAL with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Amato, Garcia, Muraoka voting no (3) and Representative(s) Cochran, Holt, Iwamoto, Ward excused (4). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2025-03-14** Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1249) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
- **2025-03-13** 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. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-10** Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Thursday, 03-13-25 9:45AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
- **2025-03-06** Referred to EEP, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 19 `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-06** Pass First Reading `reading-1`
- **2025-03-04** Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 225) in amended form (SD 2). `introduction, receipt`
- **2025-03-04** Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella. Noes, 2 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2025-02-28** 48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25.
- **2025-02-28** Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 923) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
- **2025-02-26** 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; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-02-20** The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-26-25 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
- **2025-02-14** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2025-02-14** Reported from HHS/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 641) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
- **2025-01-31** 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, Keohokalole; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-01-31** The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, DeCoite, Rhoads; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Richards, Awa. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-01-30** The committee(s) on HHS/AEN added the measure to the public hearing scheduled on 01-31-25 1:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
- **2025-01-30** Public notice requirement waived pursuant to Senate Rule 21.
- **2025-01-23** Referred to HHS/AEN, WAM. `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-21** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2025-01-17** Introduced. `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2d73ba0a-2c06-4991-9cd8-cb0b41552d8d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).