Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO THE NURSE LICENSURE COMPACT.

Allows the Governor to enter the State into the multistate Nurse Licensure Compact, which will allow a nurse who is licensed by a home state to practice under a multistate licensure privilege in each party state, effective 1/1/2027. Beginning 1/1/2027, allows the State Board of Nursing to charge different fees for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who hold a multistate license issued by the State. Appropriates general revenues.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING.

Includes correctional workers as protected participants in peer support counseling sessions, giving them the same confidentiality protections provided to law enforcement officers and emergency services personnel.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Authorizes a county with a pre-existing surcharge to continue the surcharge after December 31, 2030, at a lower rate of one-fourth per cent. Authorizes counties that have not adopted a surcharge ordinance on state tax to adopt a surcharge ordinance at the current rate of one-half of one per cent through December 31, 2030, and at a rate of one-fourth of one per cent after December 31, 2030. Expands the authorized use of surcharge revenues to more than capital costs of a locally preferred alternative for a mass transit project for counties with a population greater than five hundred thousand.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Amends various provisions of the Insurance Code to update and improve existing provisions. Clarifies grounds for denial, suspension, and revocation of an adjuster and bill reviewer license. Clarifies procedures for denying, suspending, and revoking an insurance producer license. Amends the notice requirements for cancellation or nonrenewal of an insurance policy. Requires insurers to provide explanation of premium increases upon request. Amends the definition of unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Short form bill.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FUNDING ADJUSTMENTS FOR STATE PROGRAMS.

Appropriates general funds to various programs due to anticipated operating shortfalls because of the lack of authority to transfer funds between programs.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FUNDING ADJUSTMENTS FOR STATE PROGRAMS.

Appropriates general funds to various programs due to anticipated operating shortfalls because of the lack of authority to transfer funds between programs.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO BUILDING INSPECTIONS.

Requires periodic inspections of certain walls and appurtenances of buildings five or more stories in height. Establishes procedures for inspections, preparing inspection reports, and responding to report findings.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Prohibits a procurement officer from disclosing a competing offeror's proposal or evaluation score, except the summary of scores, during a debriefing requested by a non-selected offeror. Authorizes the disclosure of a competing offeror's proposal or evaluation score after a protest is resolved and the contract is executed.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Establishes a framework for the creation of the Hawaii Violent Death Reporting System, to be federally funded, for the purposes of collecting information and data on violent deaths in the State. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL GRANT ADMINISTRATION.

Creates an agricultural grant program and revolving fund for the purposes of grant application, execution, reporting and auditing to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Effective July 1, 2026.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LANDLORD-TENANT CODE.

Prohibits a landlord from recovering possession of a dwelling unit from a tenant if the habitability of the premises is significantly impaired. Caps a tenant's liability for rent if the habitability of the premises is significantly impaired. Provides remedies for retaliatory evictions.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO MEDICAL RECORDS.

Establishes fees that medical providers may charge for requests for a patient's medical records from the patient's family member, caregiver, or representative. Requires medical providers to respond to requests in a timely manner. Establishes penalties.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Requires counties to revoke licenses for the sale of fireworks for licensees that have violated restriction on the sale of fireworks. Prohibits licensees that have violated restrictions on the sale of fireworks from obtaining a new license.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources, by 7/1/2028, to establish the Hawaii Coastal Resilience Acquisition and Leaseback Program. Establishes the Coastal Resilience Revolving Fund. Clarifies the calculation of acquisition price for coastal properties, the conditions of leasebacks, and the limitation to liability assumed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources under the Hawaii Coastal Resilience Acquisition and Leaseback Program.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Repeals the sunset date of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, thereby making permanent the authority of the counties to share in facilitating the development, construction, financing, refinancing, or other provision of mixed-use developments, including low- and moderate-income housing projects, and issue county bonds for this purpose.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Amends the sunset date of Act 83, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, to repeal section 46-19.8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, on June 29, 2025.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

Establishes the Hawaii Climate Institute at the University of Hawaii. Transfers the functions of the International Pacific Research Center at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to the Hawaii Climate Institute. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PREFERRED NAMES.

Requires the Department of Education to implement a process to allow students to use preferred names to strengthen inclusivity in public schools.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Makes it an unfair or deceptive act or practice for businesses to: offer, display, or advertise the price of live-ticket events or short-term lodging without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; and misrepresent any fees or charges in any offer, display, or advertisement for the sale of live-event tickets or short-term lodging.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PET ANIMALS.

Prohibits insurers from refusing to issue or renew, canceling, restricting, otherwise terminating, or charging higher rates for a commercial general liability insurance policy, homeowners insurance policy, renters insurance policy, or dwelling fire policy based on the breed of any dog that is kept on the insured premises.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Amends Act 289, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, to replace the Senior Residence at Iwilei parcel with the Westridge parcel, change the transfer date for the Alii Tower parcel to 12/31/2026, changes the deadline for approval by the City and County of Honolulu to 12/31/2027, and changes the repeal date to 1/1/2028.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Requires the Hawaii Community Development Authority to establish a Community Action Center in Chinatown. Expenditure contingent upon the City and County of Honolulu providing matching funds. Appropriation.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE LEGISLATIVE VACANCIES.

Establishes unspecified deadlines for the governor to appoint, and for political parties to nominate, individuals to fill certain state senatorial vacancies. Provides that if the Governor fails to appoint an individual to fill a state legislative vacancy by an applicable statutory deadline, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make the appointment within an unspecified number of calendar days after the deadline.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Establishes a two-year Keiki Fare-Free Transit Pilot Program on Oahu and Kauai. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.

Removes historic sites and the Waikiki special district from the requirement for environmental assessments under section 343-5, HRS.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Prohibits the harvesting of aquatic life for commercial aquarium purposes, regardless of the method of collection.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PEDESTRIANS.

Specifies that the driver of a vehicle must wait until a pedestrian has crossed half of the crosswalk plus an additional lane of the roadway before the driver can proceed.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PALI LANES.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to acquire by eminent domain the fee simple interest in the Pali Lanes property. Appropriates funds for the just compensation of the acquisition of the fee simple interest in the Pali Lanes property by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND GRANTS.

Prohibits the acquisition of state land involving moneys from the Land Conservation Fund by a nonprofit organization without prior approval of the Legislature.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO WATER STANDARDS.

By 1/1/2040, requires all municipal wastewater treatment facilities owned by a State or county agency to meet state R-1 water standards. Requires the Department of Health to adopt five-year benchmarks to ensure compliance with state R-1 water standards. Requires the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds. Appropriates funds.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Establishes consumer protection requirements for the use of artificial intelligence systems in consumer interactions and consequential decisions, including disclosures, documentation, and a right to correction, appeal, and human review. Makes certain violations an unfair or deceptive act or practice. Requires risk management and impact assessments for high-risk artificial intelligence systems. Requires incident reports to the Executive Director of the Office of Consumer Protection and the Attorney General.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO MINORS.

Authorizes a physician, upon consultation with a minor patient who indicates that the minor was the victim of a sexual offense, with the consent of the minor patient, to perform customary and necessary examinations to obtain evidence of the sexual offense and may prescribe for and treat the patient for any immediate condition caused by the sexual offense. Provides that the consent of the parent, parents, or legal guardian of a minor offender who has been committed to the Hawaii youth correctional facilities is not necessary in order to authorize hospital, medical, mental health, dental, emergency health, or emergency surgical care.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE PROCEEDS.

Requires mortgage servicers to comply with certain requirements regarding the disbursement of insurance proceeds for residential real estate that has been destroyed or damaged.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO FORECLOSURES.

Specifies that a judicial foreclosure sale is not final until the earliest of either fifteen days after the public sale, unless an eligible bidder submits a subsequent bid or written notice of intent to submit a subsequent bid, or forty-five days after the public sale. Requires subsequent successful bidders to make a downpayment.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Authorizes condominium associations to inspect high-risk components in a unit upon the replacement or repair of the component by the owner.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and enforce vegetation management requirements to prevent wildfires caused by electric utilities.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES.

Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules allowing the sale and distribution of fine mesh nets, including monofilament netting, in the State to protect plants from the coconut rhinoceros beetle.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO SOLAR ENERGY.

Defines and provides requirements for the use of a portable solar generation device. Requires each portable solar generation device to be registered with the Public Utilities Commission. Provides that electric utility companies are not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable solar generation device. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish and maintain an online system for registering a portable solar generation device, at no cost to the customer.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Appropriates funds to support educational training programs to expand the State's health care workforce. Allocates funds to the Department of Education for health care certificate programs and classroom renovations for health care training in public high schools. Allocates funds to the University of Hawaii for education programs that support certified nurse assistants in becoming licensed practical nurses.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO ENERGY PROJECTS.

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to hold not less than two community meetings before approving a major energy project that would be hosted in the affected community.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Establishes the Search and Rescue Card Program and Search and Rescue Special Fund to reimburse state and county agencies and volunteer organizations for search and rescue operations. Establishes reimbursement procedures for search and rescue operations.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE COSTS.

Establishes the Prescription Drug Affordability Board within the Department of Health to conduct affordability reviews on high-cost prescription drugs and establish upper payment limits under certain circumstances. Establishes out-of-pocket maximums for prescribed insulin, asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors. Prohibits copayment adjustment programs. Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to comply with certain affordability measures. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Requires adoption of rules by the Affordability Board and Insurance Commissioner. Appropriates funds.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE.

Establishes the Hawaii CARES Fund Long-term Services and Supports Trust Program within the Department of Human Services to be implemented in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Insurance Commissioner, provide eligible beneficiaries with a lifetime benefit for approved long-term services and supports funded through payroll-based premium assessed on wages, with exemptions and optional participation for self-employed persons and certain out‑of‑state participants. Establishes a trust fund commission and council. Establishes premium assessment and collection requirements. Provides cancellation procedures under certain circumstances. Establishes a supplemental private coverage framework and consumer education requirements. Establishes the Hawaii CARES trust fund and investment requirements. Requires DHS, DLIR, and the Insurance Commissioner to adopt rules. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO REAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS.

Requires a seller or its agent in a residential real property transaction to disclose that the United States Postal Service cannot deliver mail or packages to the residential real property being offered for sale.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

PART II: Allows certain extensions of the deadline for cesspool conversions. PART III: Authorizes and appropriates funds to the Department of Health to retain qualified consultants as necessary to identify necessary public outreach and education resources and tools and develop a comprehensive public outreach strategy and website to educate homeowners and wastewater industry professionals about information and resources regarding the State's cesspool upgrade, conversion, and connection requirements and deadlines.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends and repeals certain exemptions under the general excise tax and use tax laws.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Establishes the Office of Artificial Intelligence Safety and Regulation within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to regulate the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence technologies in the State. Prohibits the deployment of artificial intelligence products in the State unless affirmative proof establishing the product's safety is submitted to the Office. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO ASSISTED COMMUNITY TREATMENT.

Requires community health outpatient programs to prepare a certificate for assisted community treatment and provide the certificate to a defendant. Requires a petition for assisted community treatment to be heard within five days after the petition is filed.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO CANCER.

Repeals the requirement that a certain amount received from the cigarette tax on the wholesale price of each article or item of certain tobacco products deposited into the Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund must be used for debt service of capital expenditures and building maintenance. Appropriates funds for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat