HAWAII
Passed by House or Senate
In 2025, House Bill 455, the companion to Senate Bill 132 in the House, would establish the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program. The bill would set up a fund and require an annual report to the legislature regarding the program. The bill passed in the House and in the Senate in different forms and a Conference Committee was appointed. The bill carried over to the 2026 legislative session.
In 2022, Senator Glen Wakai introduced Senate Bill 2805, which would establish the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program. The bill would set up a fund and require an annual report to the legislature regarding the program. The bill passed in the House and in the Senate in different forms and a Conference Committee was appointed.
Introduced
In 2025, Senator Glenn Wakai introduced Senate Bill 132, which would establish the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program. The bill would set up a fund and require an annual report to the legislature regarding the program.
In 2025, House Bill 521 was introduced, which would establish a statewide Office of Entrepreneurship.
In 2025, Senate Bill 983 was introduced, which would establish the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program. The bill would set up a fund and require an annual report to the legislature regarding the program. The bill passed in a Senate Committee.
In 2025, House Bill 1442 was introduced, which would establish a statewide Office of Entrepreneurship. The bill passed in a House Committee.
In 2024, Minority Leader Representative Lauren Matsumoto introduced House Bill 1709, which would establish a statewide Office of Entrepreneurship.
In 2023, Senator Glen Wakai introduced Senate Bill 706, which would establish the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program. The bill passed in a Senate Committee.
In 2022, Senator Glen Wakai introduced Senate Bill 3232, which would require support services to new businesses; establish a separate excise tax rate for business’s first five years of operation; exempt a business from paying any fees related to licensing and registration within its first five years of operation; allow individuals to continue to receive unemployment benefits while in the process of starting a business; require state procurement office to advise government bodies to allocate at least 5% of funding to procure goods and services from new businesses in the state; and prohibit savings and loans associations from requiring a signed confession of judgement from a small business as a condition of receiving a loan.
In 2022, Representative Justin Woodson introduced House Bill 2402, which would require support services to new businesses; establish a separate excise tax rate for business’s first five years of operation; exempt a business from paying any fees related to licensing and registration within its first five years of operation; allow individuals to continue to receive unemployment benefits while in the process of starting a business; require state procurement office to advise government bodies to allocate at least 5% of funding to procure goods and services from new businesses in the state; and prohibit savings and loans associations from requiring a signed confession of judgement from a small business as a condition of receiving a loan.
New businesses create almost all net new jobs in the United States. Entrepreneurs create stronger communities, grow GDP, create homegrown jobs, increase community wealth, diversify goods and services, increase lifetime incomes, and fight inequality and poverty.
65% of Americans believe it's harder to start a business today compared to their parent’s generation. 94% of Americans believe “it’s important to America’s future” that citizens have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own businesses. 81% of entrepreneurs say that the government favors big businesses over them, and 69% say the government doesn’t care about them at all.
Streamlining processes and removing barriers and unnecessary burdens for new, young companies to start and grow is critical to expanding entrepreneurial opportunity for all.
Many states are realizing the importance of new, young businesses to their economic growth and are working to change and update policies.
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Right to Start shares best practices to help policymakers support entrepreneurs. We are a leading, national nonpartisan civic organization working to expand entrepreneurial opportunity for all throughout the United States by changing minds, changing policies and changing communities. Our policy recommendations are pro-growth measures, which will remove barriers and streamline processes to starting, cut red tape, advance homegrown job creation, and build a stronger connection between entrepreneurs and government.
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