NFIB tracked 47 pieces of legislation and their opposite-chamber companion measures for support or opposition out of the 3,172 bills introduced in 2025, and, in the end, succeeded in de-railing some very bad ones for small business.

Eight of those 47 bills in particular would have made running a small business in Hawaii even more difficult than it already is. They were:

— HB 158/HB 722 would have allowed striking workers to be eligible for unemployment benefits. HB 158 failed to pass the Finance Committee before the lateral deadline.

— HB 202 would have amended the definition of “adequate reserve fund” by increasing the multiplier used to calculate its amount from the existing factor of 1, to unspecified amounts for calendar year 2026 and for calendar year 2027 and thereafter. This measure was deferred in conference committee.

— HB 325 would have prohibited an employer from discriminating against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment based on the person’s status as a medical cannabis registry card holder. This measure did not pass the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee before the first lateral deadline.

— HB 555/ SB 638 would have required employers to authorize and permit employees a 10-minute paid rest period for every four hours worked. HB 555 did not pass the Finance Committee before the first lateral deadline.

— HB 755 would have required by Jan. 1, 2028, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. This measure did not pass the Finance Committee before the first lateral deadline.

— SB 358 would have required employers to provide employees with written notice of the employee’s shift schedule at least 10 calendar days before the employee is scheduled to work. This measure was not scheduled for hearing.

— SB 674 would have required the Department of Health to conduct a statewide needs assessment to determine what will be needed to reduce waste generation, increase reuse, improve recycling collection services, and expand local processing of materials through an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products. This measure passed first lateral deadline but was not scheduled for hearing by the House Ways and Means Committee.

— SB 718 would have required all places of public accommodation and public entity constructions constructed after July 31, 2026, to provide universal changing accommodations that are equally accessible regardless of gender. This measure was not scheduled for hearing.

The Ones That Got Away

Despite the best lobbying efforts of NFIB and its coalition partners to stop them, three bills did pass the Legislature and were put on Gov. Josh Green’s desk, two of which he signed into law and one that will become law with or without his signature. They were:

— HB 477 amends the definition of “registered for work” or “registration for work” under the Hawaiʻi Employment Security Law. Repeals the requirement to post work availability online. Amends the qualifications for unemployed individuals who are able to receive certain unemployment benefits. Beginning April 1, 2027, permits electronic notification of determinations or redeterminations of unemployment claims. Repeals language that limited an individual’s ability to change a previously elected withholding status to once during a benefit year. This measure was transmitted to the Governor for signature.

— HB 750 requires the Department of Health to conduct a statewide needs assessment to determine what will be needed to reduce waste generation, increase reuse, improve recycling collection services, and expand local processing of materials through an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products. This measure was signed into law as Act 103.

— SB 1396 increases the Transient Accommodations Tax rate beginning on 1/1/2026. Beginning 7/1/2025, requires the Governor to request in the executive budget or supplemental budget that an amount of general funds that approximates the additional Transient Accommodations Tax revenue generated by this Act be expended to advance certain climate change mitigation and tourism projects. Assesses the Transient Accommodations Tax on gross rental proceeds derived from cruise fares. Amends the allowable uses of the Special Land and Development Fund and the portion of Transient Accommodations Tax collections that are allocated to the Special Land and Development Fund. This measure was signed into law as Act 96.

Click here for a list of the remaining 36 pieces of legislation and their companion measures in the opposite legislative chamber that NFIB monitored.

Click here for NFIB Hawaii State Director Michael Iosua’s look back at the 2025 session.