# Hawaii SB 659: RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Hawaii SB 659, RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2) Senate bill sponsored by Mike Gabbard (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-12-08 (Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB659-2026
- 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 659
- State: Hawaii
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 2)
- Title: RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-17
- Last action: 2025-12-08, Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- Sponsor: Mike Gabbard (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: DOE, Procurement, Locally Sourced Products, Fresh Local Agricultural Products, Local Value-Added Processed, Agricultural, or Food Products, Exemption, Geographic Preference, EDN, AGR, FIN
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 7 (107 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Exempts from the electronic procurement system the Department of Education's purchase of fresh local agricultural products and local value-added processed, agricultural, or food products not exceeding a certain amount, subject to certain requirements. Requires the Department of Education to establish guidelines for determining a geographic preference for locally sourced products. Exempts the Department of Education from the requirement that certain agricultural products are subject to the Hawaii Public Procurement Code. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Mike Gabbard (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Stanley Chang (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Glenn Wakai (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-19 | House | The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes ... | pass | 5 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-13 | House | Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on AGR... | pass | 47 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-11 | House | The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The ... | pass | 10 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-04 | Senate | Senate Floor Vote | pass | 25 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-26 | Senate | The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-10 | Senate | The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 3 | 2 |   |
| 2025-02-10 | Senate | The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENT... | pass | 4 | 0 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2025-12-08: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
- 2025-03-21: Reported from AGR (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1406), recommending referral to FIN. (House)
- 2025-03-21: Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (5). (House)
- 2025-03-19: The committee on AGR recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Kahaloa, Kusch, Lowen, Perruso, Quinlan; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward. (House)
- 2025-03-14: Bill scheduled to be heard by AGR on Wednesday, 03-19-25 9:30AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-03-13: Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1190) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to AGR. (House)
- 2025-03-13: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on AGR with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Holt, Ward, Woodson excused (4). (House)
- 2025-03-11: The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Muraoka. (House)
- 2025-03-07: Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 03-11-25 2:00PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House)
- 2025-03-06: Pass First Reading (House)
- 2025-03-06: Referred to EDN, AGR, FIN, referral sheet 19 (House)
- 2025-03-04: Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) DeCoite, Inouye, Kim. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 182) in amended form (SD 2). (House)
- 2025-02-28: Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 921) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). (Senate)
- 2025-02-28: 48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25. (Senate)
- 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, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none. (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-26-25 10:03AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Reported from EDU/AEN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 434) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kidani, Kanuha, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 2 No(es): Senator(s) Kim, Hashimoto; and 0 Excused: none. (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: The committee(s) on AEN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in AEN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Gabbard, Richards, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) DeCoite ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Rhoads. (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: The committee(s) on EDU/AEN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-10-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference. (Senate)
- 2025-01-23: Referred to EDU/AEN, WAM. (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Introduced. (Senate)
- 2025-01-17: Passed First Reading. (Senate)

## Bill text

- Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_HD1_.pdf)
- Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_.PDF)
- SB659_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_HD1_.HTM)
- SB659_SD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_SD1_.HTM)
- SB659_SD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_SD2_.HTM)

## Related bills

- SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS. (became law)
- HB 2344: RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES. (signed)
- HB 2023: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- HB 2021: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION. (signed)
- SB 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed)
- HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH. (signed)

## Sources
- [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_HD1_.pdf)
- [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_.HTM)
- [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_.PDF)
- [SB659_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_HD1_.HTM)
- [SB659_SD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_SD1_.HTM)
- [SB659_SD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2026/bills/SB659_SD2_.HTM)

## Related
- [SB 847: RELATING TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB847-2026)
- [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 2338: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB2338-2026)
- [HB 1973: RELATING TO HEALTH.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB1973-2026)
- [Hawaii bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii/bills)
- [Hawaii state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB659-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).