Bill > SB515

This bill establishes a Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Fee Program administered by the Department of Agriculture, which will impose a one-cent per fluid ounce fee on sugar-sweetened beverages beginning January 1, 2026. The fee will apply to bottled sugar-sweetened beverages and concentrates sold in Hawaii, with distributors required to add the fee to their prices and retailers passing it on to consumers. Distributors must register with the department, keep detailed records, and submit monthly reports of their sales. The collected fees will be deposited into a special fund and used to support the Hawaii Healthy Food Incentive Program (known as DA BUX), which provides matching funds for supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) beneficiaries to purchase locally grown produce. The bill includes comprehensive definitions of sugar-sweetened beverages, exempting products like 100% fruit juice, milk, and beverages with less than 4.2 grams of added sweetener per eight ounces. The program includes provisions for criminal and civil penalties for non-compliance, requires annual reporting to the legislature, and mandates that the State Auditor conduct management and financial audits of the program. The underlying goal is to discourage excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption while simultaneously increasing access to healthy, locally produced food for low-income residents.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=515&year=2026