Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules and carry out an Invasive Species Placard Program for plant nurseries. Allows a county to adopt an Invasive Species Placard Program if the Department does not adopt the Program within a certain number of years.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO PHARMACY.

Establishes the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Special Fund to support pharmacist workforce assessment and planning efforts. Establishes the pharmacist workforce assessment fee. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO PROTECTIVE ORDERS.

Establishes the Hawaii Hope Card Program within the Department of the Attorney General to issue hope cards upon request to those holding a long-term protective order, with specified relevant information about the protective orders and all covered parties. Establishes the Hawaii Hope Card Special Fund. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Michelle N. KidaniDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER DATA PROTECTION.

Establishes a framework to regulate controllers and processors with access to personal consumer data. Establishes penalties. Establishes the Consumer Privacy Special Fund to be administered by the Department of the Attorney General. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND.

Allows impasses and disputes relating to the amounts of State and county contributions to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to be resolved by arbitration. Repeals the prohibition against strikes by members of bargaining units on the issue of the amounts of State and county contributions to the Trust Fund.

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO VEHICLE WEIGHT TAXES.

Creates an exemption to the vehicle weight tax for full-time college students.

David Alcos IIIRepublican

RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Grants the Public Utilities Commission the ability to authorize preferential rates for the purchase of renewable energy from facilities that meet certain prevailing wage requirements. Requires public utilities to forward certain requests for preferential rates to the PUC for approval. Appropriates funds. Effective 07/01/3000. (HD1)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC ORDER.

Makes it a disorderly conduct offense to remain or loiter within twenty feet of a bus stop with no intent to utilize any bus service. Authorizes law enforcement officers to immediately remove any person committing a disorderly conduct offense of remaining or loitering within twenty feet of a bus stop with no intent to utilize any bus service and confiscate any of their personal property. Authorizes law enforcement officers to determine if the confiscated property is to be saved or discarded. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ikaika OldsDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to transfer the public roads of the Villages of Kapolei to the City and County of Honolulu by 1/1/2026. Authorizes county police officers to enforce the statewide traffic code on all public streets, roadways, and highways within the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS.

Requires transient accommodations brokers and any other persons or entities to offer, list, advertise, or display a transient accommodations rental rate that includes all resort fees required for the furnishing of transient accommodations. Requires transient accommodations brokers and any other persons or entities to include all applicable taxes and fees imposed by a government on the stay in the total price to be paid before the consumer reserves the furnishing of transient accommodations. Establishes penalties. Effective 1/1/3000. (HD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO CLEAN AND SOBER HOMES.

Requires a county conditional use permit for clean and sober homes with 5 or more residents. Requires registration of all clean and sober homes on registry maintained by the Department of Health. Requires DOH to conduct unannounced inspections of clean and sober homes on at least an annual basis.

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Appropriates funds to offset the debt for the Waiahole Water System. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD CARE.

Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to identify all state-owned buildings that have the space and capability to establish a child care center on its premises and establish and administer child care centers within the identified state-owned buildings, and procure a child care provider licensed under State law as an operator of the child care centers. Beginning 1/1/2026, requires bids for state building construction and major state building renovation projects to include a designated area for a child care center. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Imposes an excise tax on certain hedge funds failing to dispose of excess single-family residences, escalating over a ten-year period. Imposes a tax on any newly acquired single-family residences by a hedge fund. Makes certain exemptions. Requires the Department of Taxation to establish a certification process to ensure buyers of homes sold by hedge funds are not major investors in residential real estate. Establishes the Housing Down Payment Trust Fund to be administered by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to provide grants to establish new or supplement existing programs that provide down payment assistance to families purchasing homes within the State. Allocates collected tax revenue and penalties paid by hedge funds to the Housing Down Payment Trust Fund. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING GROUP TO REFORM OR ELIMINATE THE LAND COURT.

SAN BUENAVENTURA

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Disallows the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser held by another candidate or committee. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Della Au BelattiDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Establish a medical education liaison position within the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to support programs that utilize a team of medical specialists to support primary care providers and other health care professionals through mentorship and guidance. Appropriates funds.

Jenna TakenouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Exempts housing developments that have obtained financing commitments from the State from the requirement to obtain approval from the applicable county council. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO CLEAN WATER AND AIR, A HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE, HEALTHY NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS, AND BEACHES.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to ensure that the inherent and inalienable right of the people, including future generations, to clean water and air, a healthful environment and climate, healthy native ecosystems, and beaches, shall be protected and shall not be infringed. (SD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO YOUTH AND ADULT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.

Requires the State's youth and adult correctional facilities to provide free and accessible voice communication services for incarcerated persons in state correctional facilities. Prohibits any state agency from deriving revenue or financial benefit from the provision of communication services to persons confined in state correctional facilities. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish service quality standards and rules for the free voice communication services. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT.

Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to allow other executive branch departments to select applicants for civil service positions from the applicant pool for initial screening.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

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.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

Amends section 11-364, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to provide that an excess contribution of more than $100 in cash, in the aggregate, from a single person during an election period to a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee shall escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund if not returned to the contributor within 30 days.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO BEEKEEPING.

Clarifies the registration process for beekeepers with the Department of Agriculture. Requires the Department of Agriculture to provide guidance and support to registered beekeepers to help beekeepers adhere to certain industry standards and best management practices. Establishes a limitation on liability for any registered beekeeper who follows industry standards and best practices. Appropriates funds. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Requires corporations, organizations, or individuals engaging to commercial transactions or trade practices to clearly and conspicuously notify consumers when the consumer is interacting with an artificial intelligence chatbot or other technology capable of mimicking human behaviors, with certain exemptions. Requires developers that sell, offer for sale, advertise, or make available artificial intelligence chatbots to disclose that their chatbots use artificial intelligence. Authorizes private rights of action. Establishes statutory penalties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

LA CHICA

RELATING TO LAND LEASES.

Prohibits the State from leasing any public lands, or extending the lease of any public lands, to any individual, corporation, or federal agency that is in arrears in the payment of certain moneys to the State, noncompliant with a consent decree or memoranda of agreement with the State that requires environmental maintenance or remediation with regard to the subject public lands, or convicted of a crime. Requires certification by the Office of the Governor before the issuance or extension of any federal lease that the individual, corporation, or federal agency is in good standing with the State. Provides that, if any existing lessee of public lands is found not to be in good standing with the State as of the effective date of this Act, the lessee shall have three years, or until the end of the lease term, whichever is sooner, to correct the violation or the lease shall be terminated.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.

Requires a seller of real property adjacent to the shoreline, and the seller's agent, to disclose and include in all advertisements shoreline erosion certain issues related to the parcel.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated for Bargaining Unit (5) and subject to the availability of funds, provides annual salary step increases for public school teachers who have completed a year's satisfactory service and comply with specified requirements. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.

Establishes a school capital improvement project modernization initiative in the School Facilities Authority to create a planning database for school facilities. Appropriates funds.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE BUILDING CODES.

Requires the counties to adopt the Hawaii state building codes no later than one year after its adoption. Authorizes a county with a population in excess of 500,000 to amend its building energy conservation code to require more stringent energy-saving performance.

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO BUILDING CODES.

Amends responsibilities of the State Building Code Council.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE HOUSING.

Establishes an Agricultural Workforce Housing Working Group within the Department of Agriculture to address the shortage and challenges of agricultural workforce housing in the State. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Establishes a criminal penalty and monetary fines for aquarium fishing violations. Clarifies that each fish or aquatic life specimen taken in violation of certain fishing laws regarding aquarium fish and the possession and use of prohibited explosives, electrofishing devices, and poisonous substances constitutes a separate offense.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO AMEND ITS TECHNOLOGY MONITORING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES TO INCLUDE MONITORING THAT BLOCKS STUDENTS FROM RECEIVING INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES AND ACCESSING HARMFUL MATERIAL.

SAN BUENAVENTURA

RELATING TO MARINE PASSENGER FEES.

Establishes a cruise ship passenger fee to be collected beginning 1/1/2026 by the Department of Transportation to be used for infrastructure projects benefiting cruise ships with an emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Establishes the Cruise Ship Passenger Fee Special Fund. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO SQUATTING.

Establishes a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study the issue of squatting in Hawaii and provide recommendations. Requires reports to the legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO AN INTENSIVE MOBILE TEAM PILOT PROGRAM FOR HOUSELESS INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM SERIOUS BRAIN DISORDERS.

Establishes and appropriates funds for a pilot program in the Department of Health to provide intensive mobile treatment-type services to chronically houseless individuals suffering from serious brain disorders like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE LICENSED CARE FACILITIES.

Requires the Department of Health to post on its website an easily understandable, searchable, and sortable list of all state-licensed care facilities including information on their licenses and inspections. Requires that the list be updated within five days of any change in its information.

Lisa MartenDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR STANDARDS AT HEALTH CARE FACILITIES.

Establishes certain minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing requirements for hospitals. No later than 9/1/2025, requires hospitals to create hospital registered nurse staffing committees. Beginning 7/1/2026, requires hospitals to implement registered nurse staffing plans. Appropriates funds.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Prohibits the removal of a manufacturer- or factory-installed speed limiting device from an electric bicycle. Requires the Department of Transportation to develop a traffic safety education program and a public awareness campaign. Appropriate funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Christopher L. MuraokaRepublican

RELATING TO PARROTFISH.

Amends conservation and resources law to prohibit: (1) Commercial sales of parrotfish that have been caught by spearing; and (2) The spearing of parrotfish in state waters after sunset or before sunrise.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY.

Authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to utilize student education partnerships to increase the amount of mental health care providers in correctional facilities across the State. Appropriates funds.

Garner M. ShimizuRepublican

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Creates an income tax credit for qualified transportation costs incurred by certain taxpayers who ship agricultural products and inputs between counties. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE LANDS.

Establishes penalties for failure to comply with certain submerged land reclamation regulations. Adds requirements for presently reclaimed land to be disposed of by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, without recourse to public auction, to an abutting owner, by sale, or by lease. Provides requirements for the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease state submerged lands and lands beneath tidal waters.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT.

Amends the definition of "employer" in state law that governs payment of wages and other compensation to include the State and counties when a provision in that law has no comparable provision in state law that governs public officers and employees.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes a nationally certified school psychologist incentive program. Appropriates funds for the incentive program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for the Department's Hoʻākea Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat