Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO PROPERTY DAMAGES.

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.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Authorizes state departments, divisions, and agencies to elect to assume hiring and recruitment functions from the Department of Human Resources Development for vacant civil service positions within that department, division, or agency under certain conditions. Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to adopt rules. Repeals existing law authorizing state departments, divisions, and agencies to conduct minimum qualification review of applicants for their vacant civil service positions.

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES.

Requires common interest community proxy forms to include certain language related to the selection options for proxies.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO GAMBLING.

Provides that a defendant may not assert social gambling as an affirmative defense if the gambling activity occurred at the defendant's residence and gambling activities have resulted in multiple recent documented noise complaints.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES.

Specifies that all condominium associations, boards, and managing agents are required to comply with the declaration, bylaws, and all county ordinances and state and federal laws, rules, and regulations, including mortgage lending requirements.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Short form bill relating to economic development.

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Exempts eligible groceries from the General Excise Tax. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES.

Clarifies that a community association manager is an individual who is the managing agent responsible for the contracted management and oversight of a cooperative housing corporation, condominium association, or homeowners association. Amends the definition of "managing agent" to include a community association manager.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning no later than the 2028-2029 school year, requires the Department of Education to administer a dyslexia-sensitive universal screening to all students in kindergarten through grade three. Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, requires certain employees of public schools to have an opportunity to participate in training on literacy instruction. Requires a report to the Legislature and Board of Education before the 2031-2032 school year. Appropriates funds.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO FILMING.

Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production obtains a permit or enters into a memorandum of agreement or understanding with DBEDT to film a visually recorded production at certain locations. Requires DBEDT to provide public notice of certain information whenever a production registers for pre-qualification or is determined to qualify for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit and simultaneously post notice on a publicly accessible part of its website. Allows individuals to sign up to receive notice by electronic mail or postal mail.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO FOOD SECURITY.

Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Farm to Families Program under the Department of Human Services to alleviate food shortages in the State. Requires reports to the Legislature before the Regular Sessions of 2027 and 2028.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

Prohibits the driver of a vehicle from proceeding on a roadway until a pedestrian within a crosswalk completely crosses the roadway.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Exempts from the state general excise tax any grants received from the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund by an eligible business pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Requires the Department of Taxation to notify all taxpayers eligible for refunds of any state general excise tax paid for grants received from the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund of their eligibility and requires taxpayers to file refund claims no later than six months following notification. Requires any state general excise taxes paid by eligible businesses for Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants to be refunded to the taxpayer. Applies retroactively to 3/11/2021.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Requires the Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Finance and Office of Enterprise Technology Services, and Department of Human Services, to establish and maintain an online clearinghouse enhanced by artificial intelligence of evidence-based treatment and prevention programs. Requires DOH to support the integration of artificial intelligence in the online clearinghouse. Requires DOH to ensure that any artificial intelligence model used in support of the online clearinghouse is subject to regular audits. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE FUNDS.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICATION IN SCHOOLS.

Establishes provisions regarding the volunteered administration of certain medications by authorized persons at public schools, including requirements for parent authorization, administration instruction, and liability protections. Expands permitted emergency treatments to include epinephrine, inhalers, seizure rescue medication, glucagon, insulin, and blood-glucose monitoring.

Michelle N. KidaniDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Repeals language prohibiting county legislative bodies from imposing stricter conditions or other requirements on certain housing projects of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Requires an insurance producer to disclose a description of services to be provided, and compensation and commission to be received, before the procurement, placement, or renewal of any insurance policy purchased by a condominium association, and incorporates verification procedures into annual audit requirements. Requires at least two competitive quotes from insurance producers for any association insurance policy procurement, placement, or renewal with an annual premium greater than $250,000. Requires the board of directors to prepare and disclose to unit owners a one-page project summary for any capital improvement, repair, or maintenance project authorized with an estimated cost greater than $200,000.

Carol FukunagaDemocrat

RELATING TO BUSINESS.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER COVID-19 HAZARD PAY PROGRAM.

Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish and administer the Construction Worker COVID-19 Hazard Pay Program. Appropriates funds to pay eligible construction workers a one-time payment in recognition for essential labor performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sunsets 6/30/2031.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires public charter schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide free meals to students whose family income is no more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO AN EARLY LEARNING APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM.

Establishes an Early Learning Apprenticeship Grant Program to be administered by the University of Hawaii to provide financial support for early learning program service providers in the State to participate in state- or federally-approved early learning apprenticeship programs. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT.

Extends child care subsidies to disabled parents or guardians, regardless of their employment status. Requires the Department of Human Services to evaluate caregiver capacity and dependent-care responsibilities when determining eligibility for medicaid home- and community-based services. Requires the Department of Human Services to update its evaluation form and functional assessment protocols related to level of care and at-risk needs determinations. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO MICROPLASTICS.

Requires the Department of Health to establish a pilot project to test the drinking water at 4 public elementary schools for microplastics and to post the results on its website by 12/31/2026. Dissolves the pilot project on an unspecified date. Appropriates moneys.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

Exempts agricultural ponds and low-risk green stormwater infrastructure from regulations covering retention ponds. Defines agricultural ponds and low-risk green stormwater infrastructure.

Carol FukunagaDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Excludes drug testing products from the definition of drug paraphernalia under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes the Carbon Emissions Tax and Dividend Special Fund. Gradually increases the Environmental Response, Energy, Carbon Emissions, and Food Security Tax and establishes a refundable income tax credit to mitigate the effect of the increased tax on taxpayers. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO BIOSECURITY.

Amends section 150A-58, Hawaii Revised Statute, to clarify that signatory industries to a biosecurity government-industry agreement shall not be liable for costs related to performing activities pursuant to the agreement. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish a working group that comprises signatories of the biosecurity government-industry agreements for joint-decision making.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Appropriates funds for the Area-Wide Fruit Fly Suppression Program.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Restructures the conveyance tax to a marginal rate system for the sale of properties with residential use, adjusts the tax for multifamily properties to reflect value on a per-unit basis, and applies a cost-of-living adjustment to conveyance tax rates. Allocates revenues from conveyance tax collections. Allocates a portion of conveyance tax collections to the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund to fund infrastructure programs in county-designated transit-oriented development areas that meet minimum standards of transit-supportive density. Allocates a portion of conveyance tax revenues to the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust Fund.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO GRANTS.

Appropriates funds to the Office of Community Services (OCS) of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to award grants for fiscal year 2026-2027 to nonprofit organizations that expand or create new opportunities for residents needing to meet new community engagement requirements to qualify for federal programs. Establishes an evaluation and selection committee to oversee the awarding of grants. Requires an applicant for a grant to provide certain documentation on activities that qualify for community engagement hours to qualify for the grant. Appropriates funds for positions in OCS and for the Department of the Attorney General to assist OCS in reviewing contracts and monitoring costs.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD WELL-BEING.

Requires the Department of Human Services to establish and administer a Hawaii Rx kids program to improve the economic stability of households with very young children who reside in the State through a one-time payment and several monthly payments.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ECONOMY.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Establishes the Hawaii Benefits Hub within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Appropriates funds.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMERCE.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Beginning 1/1/2027, requires all health insurers in the state, including Medicaid managed care programs, to cover annual mental health wellness examinations.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD.

Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to adopt rules.

Michelle N. KidaniDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Requires the Workforce Development Council to recommend to the Governor, a comprehensive Statewide Workforce Strategy to inclusion in the State Unified Plan and be responsible for facilitating the alignment of workforce development efforts and programs conducted by state departments and agencies to achieve the State Unified Plan and the Comprehensive Statewide Workforce Strategy.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES.

Increases the number of enterprise zones that may be nominated by each county. Amends the definition of "eligible business activity" to include recycling facilities and film production.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX.

Increases the capital gains tax rate for individuals, estates, and trusts to nine per cent. Increases the alternative capital gains tax for corporations to five per cent.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the requirements for productions to qualify for the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax to include completing at least fifteen per cent of the production's principal photography and post-production in the State within the same taxable year the production is qualifying for the Tax Credit.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat