# Hawaii SB 2694: RELATING TO WATER CARRIERS. Hawaii SB 2694, RELATING TO WATER CARRIERS., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) Senate bill sponsored by Lorraine R. Inouye (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-19 (Act 016, 05/19/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1116).); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2694-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Hawaii SB 2694 - State: Hawaii - Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) - Title: RELATING TO WATER CARRIERS. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-23 - Last action: 2026-05-19, Act 016, 05/19/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1116). - Sponsor: Lorraine R. Inouye (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: PUC, Water Carriers, Tariffs, Water Carrier Inflationary Cost Index, Automatic Adjustment Mechanism, Rate Adjustments, TRN, CPC, FIN - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 11 (186 yes, 31 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary 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. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to waive or exempt any water carrier from any requirement under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Sunsets 7/1/2029. Effective 7/1/2050. (HD2) ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Farm customers avoid automatic rate changes: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2026, customers eligible for preferential agricultural water rates are exempt from these automatic rate-adjustment mechanisms. The exemption lasts through July 1, 2033. - Water carriers can seek rule waivers: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2026, a water carrier can ask the commission to waive any or all requirements under the Water Carrier Act or related rules and orders. The commission must find that a requirement should not apply to water carriers or is unjust, unreasonable, or not in the public interest. This auth… - Shipping rates can change with costs: mixed, low. Starting July 1, 2026, the commission must establish automatic rate-adjustment rules for water carriers. Rates can rise or fall as economic costs change. For property carriers, the cost index tracks annual wharfage-rate increases and cannot exceed 5% per year. Applications are required each year th… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Lorraine R. Inouye (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Rachele Lamosao (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-05-06 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 35 | 15 | | | 2026-05-01 | Senate | The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS.... | pass | 5 | 0 | | | 2026-05-01 | House | The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments.... | pass | 3 | 0 | | | 2026-04-14 | House | House Floor Vote | pass | 37 | 13 | | | 2026-04-09 | House | The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 9 | 2 | | | 2026-03-30 | House | Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC... | pass | 46 | 0 | | | 2026-03-27 | House | The committee on TRN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 6 | 0 | | | 2026-03-10 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 25 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 12 | 0 | | | 2026-02-18 | Senate | The committee(s) on TRS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 4 | 1 | | | 2026-02-18 | Senate | The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 4 | 0 | | ## Bill text - Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_CD1_.pdf) - Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/GM1116_.PDF) - SB2694_CD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_CD1_.HTM) - SB2694_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD1_.HTM) - SB2694_HD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD2_.HTM) - SB2694_HD2_PROPOSED: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD2_PROPOSED_.HTM) - SB2694_SD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_SD1_.HTM) - SB2694_SD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_SD2_.HTM) ## Related bills - SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS. (became law) - SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed) - HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. (signed) - HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed) - HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed) - SB 2031: RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION. (signed) ## Sources - [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_CD1_.pdf) - [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_.HTM) - [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/GM1116_.PDF) - [SB2694_CD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_CD1_.HTM) - [SB2694_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD1_.HTM) - [SB2694_HD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD2_.HTM) - [SB2694_HD2_PROPOSED (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_HD2_PROPOSED_.HTM) - [SB2694_SD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_SD1_.HTM) - [SB2694_SD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB2694_SD2_.HTM) ## Related - [SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB847-2026) - [SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2338-2026) - [HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2344-2026) - [HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2023-2026) - [HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB2021-2026) - [SB 2031: RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2031-2026) - [Hawaii bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii/bills) - [Hawaii state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2694-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).