Hawaii constitutional amendment on resilient infrastructure for shelter and equity (RISE) bonds referred to November 2026 ballot

by Brandon McCauley, Ballotpedia News, May 8, 2026 

The Hawaii State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot that would authorize counties and other local governments to issue resilient infrastructure for shelter and equity bonds, also known as RISE bonds. Legislators approved the amendment on May 6, 2026, sending it to voters for consideration.

The ballot measure would amend Article VII, Sections 12 and 13 of the Hawaii Constitution to authorize political subdivisions, such as counties, to issue resilient infrastructure for shelter and equity bonds to finance public works projects and other housing and community development expenses.

Additionally, the amendment would make the bonds payable from real property taxes and include them on the list of exemptions used to calculate a county's debt limit.

In Hawaii, a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment can be certified for the ballot in two ways:

• A two-thirds (66.67%) vote by both chambers during a single legislative session; or
• A simple majority (50%+1) vote by both chambers across two successive legislative sessions.

The amendment was introduced as Senate Bill 3219 (SB 3219) on Jan. 28, 2026, and passed both chambers by more than two-thirds vote.

While both the state Senate and state House each passed their own amended versions of the bill, both chambers approved a final version of SB 3219 on May 6, 2026. In the state Senate, the amendment passed by a vote of 25-0. In the state House, the amendment passed by a vote of 50-0, with one Republican member not voting.

The amendment was sponsored by state Sen. Troy Hashimoto (D-5). Speaking in support of the amendment, the Avalon Development Company said it "directly supports increased housing supply, smart growth, and long-term affordability." Speaking in opposition to the amendment, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii said, "If the development does not deliver as advertised, government remains on the hook to repay the bonds, meaning that all of us suffer."

SB 3219 is the second statewide ballot measure to be certified in Hawaii for 2026. The other measure — Senate Bill 121 (SB 121) — would increase the timeframe for the state senate to consider and act on judicial appointments from 30 to 60 days for those made between April 1 and December 31.

For either amendment to be approved, a simple majority of all voters casting a ballot in the election is required. This means that blank votes function the same as a no vote on the amendment.

SB3219: Text, Status

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