2026 Legislative Priorities Address Ongoing Federal Impacts

This October, the federal government endured a 43-day shutdown, the longest in the nation’s history. The stoppage affected numerous programs upon which people rely, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing assistance initiatives, and healthcare connection services. 

State officials stepped up to support impacted residents. Governor Josh Green, in partnership with legislative leaders, established the Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provided $250 per person to SNAP-enrolled households. Additionally, the administration released $100 million for the newly created Hawaiʻi Relief Program, through which families facing financial hardship can apply for up to four months of help with housing and utility costs. 

On November 12, Congress passed a bill to reopen the government and fund programs through the end of January. Yet, uncertainty remains regarding the long-term federal budget outlook and the likelihood of another shutdown once temporary funding expires. Moreover, funding for critical programs to support public health and human services has been severely reduced through program cuts that have been implemented this year, shouldering states with a greater responsibility to provide care for their communities. 

Mindful of these changes, the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute has adopted policy priorities for the 2026 legislative session that address some of the most pressing health and environmental challenges facing our islands. Our priorities for the coming year target gaps in prevention, access, and preparedness programs that form the heart of our state’s public health infrastructure. 

2026 Policy Priorities

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaiʻi (CTFH) will once again be supporting legislation to restore county authority to regulate tobacco sales. Our counties have led prior efforts to establish forward-thinking tobacco regulations, becoming a national model for the movement to increase the smoking age to 21 across the nation. Unfortunately, their authority was preempted by the state in 2019. The counties of Honolulu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi have already passed laws to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in anticipation of their regulatory authority being restored. CTFH is also sponsoring legislation to prohibit the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, which carry significant environmental risks, including the threat of fires caused by improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries. 

Our Healthy Eating + Active Living (HEAL) Coalition is championing measures intended to improve transportation access for Hawaiʻi’s youth and curb the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages. In light of our state’s commitment to decreasing dependence on carbon-intensive transportation, HEAL is asking legislators to consider making public transit free for anyone under the age of 18, as well as caregivers for keiki up to age 12. Transit fares can impede access to essential services, such as educational and medical programs. Establishing a free youth transit initiative would strengthen mobility opportunities for our keiki and meaningfully advance our state’s clean economy goals. 

Additionally, the HEAL Coalition is spearheading efforts to establish a sugar-sweetened beverage fee. Levying a fee of just $0.02 per ounce on drinks with added sugar would have substantial health benefits for our community, including lowering rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. If enacted, the fee is expected to save over $60 million in healthcare costs over the next decade, while generating approximately $66 million in revenue each year for programs that benefit our keiki and kūpuna. 

Members of the Hawaiʻi Oral Health Coalition are supporting legislation to allow interim therapeutic restoration procedures to be performed by dental hygienists in public health settings. Interim therapeutic restoration is a minimally invasive dental procedure used to slow or stop early tooth decay when a patient cannot receive a traditional filling right away. Authorizing dental hygienists to perform these procedures will increase access to preventive oral healthcare, especially for underserved areas. 

The Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance (HIAPA) is pursuing a proposal to adjust the state’s liquor tax to account for inflation. The liquor tax rate has not been adjusted since 1998, while alcohol prices have soared over that time period. Boosting the liquor tax rate decreases alcohol consumption, mitigating the number of traffic accidents and fatalities to which alcohol is a contributing factor. Declines in consumption also lower alcohol-induced illnesses, such as liver disease and high blood pressure. The measure would generate more than $60 million per year for the state’s bottom line. 

Finally, the Climate Change Health Working Group (CCHWG) is supporting legislation to strengthen heat safety standards for public school students. The Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association currently provides voluntary guidelines to limit heat risk for high school athletics practices. Yet, cases of student-athletes being rushed to the emergency room for heat-related illnesses have been reported. Working group members are hoping to make the heat safety guidelines mandatory for outdoor student activities at all schools, while funding wet-bulb globe thermometers to more accurately measure heat exposure on campus. 

Beyond its core programs, the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute will continue to support ideas to expand SNAP eligibility, end childhood hunger, uplift access to quality medical and mental health services, and ensure that all workers earn a living wage. At a time of lingering instability, we are devoted to advancing policy changes that create a sustainable and prosperous future for our island home.