Bill > SB2702

This bill establishes a limited right of first refusal for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), a state agency responsible for managing lands for native Hawaiians, to acquire properties sold by counties due to unpaid real property taxes. Counties must provide the DHHL with at least sixty days' advance written notice before auctioning any property that could be suitable for native Hawaiian beneficiaries, including details like the property's tax map key, location, acreage, minimum bid, and any known issues. The DHHL then has the opportunity to match the highest bid at auction or purchase the property directly from the county if no bids are received, with a thirty-day window to exercise this right, though extensions can be agreed upon. This process is intended to help address the long waitlist for Hawaiian Home Lands leases by allowing the DHHL to strategically acquire land, leveraging existing infrastructure and reducing costs, but it does not obligate the DHHL to purchase any property and respects the counties' authority to conduct tax sales.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2702&year=2026