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Hawaii · 2026 Regular Session · Bill

HB 1638: RELATING TO PROPERTY DAMAGES.

In committee Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

HB 1638 is a bill introduced in the Hawaii House on January 20, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: RELATING TO PROPERTY DAMAGES. Primary sponsor: Scot Matayoshi (Democratic). Most recent recorded action (January 26, 2026): Referred to EEP, CPC/JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.

Limits claims alleging property damage from covered catastrophic wildfires to actual damages. Amends the aggregate liability limit for qualifying damages from covered catastrophic wildfires to be $1,000,000,000, rather than administratively established by the Public Utilities Commission, and makes the limit applicable only to property covered by a property insurance policy up to the coverage limit. Requires the Director of Emergency Management to determine whether a wildfire is a covered catastrophic wildfire. Specifies that claims subject to the limit must be filed within one year of the covered catastrophic wildfire. Clarifies that a property and casualty insurer's rights to subrogation are not limited in the context of an insured's recovery by judgment or settlement of a third-party tort claim.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Scot MatayoshiPrimary sponsorDemocraticHouse49

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Referred to EEP, CPC/JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1
  2. Introduced and Pass First Reading.
  3. Prefiled.

Sources

  1. Open States / Plural (data from the official legislature website)
  2. Official legislature source