Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.

Allows a defendant to introduce certain evidence to receive a reduced sentence for certain offenses if the defendant can show that they were subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse, and that the acts were a significant contributing factor for the offense for which the defendant is being sentenced. Allows a defendant to introduce certain relevant evidence when raising the justification defenses of self-defense or defense of others to show that the defendant was subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse by the alleged victim. Allows the circuit court imposing a criminal sentence to correct or reduce the sentence and to suspend or probate all or any part of the sentence imposed. Allows a person previously sentenced by a circuit court to petition the court to be re-sentenced to a reduced sentence if the defendant can show that they were subjected to acts of family violence, dating violence, or child abuse, and that the acts were a significant contributing factor for the offense for which the defendant was sentenced. (SD2)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

Allows voters in a primary or special primary election to vote for any candidate for any office without regard to the voter or candidate's political party preference. Advances the top two candidates in a primary or special primary election, regardless of political party, to the general election. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

Requires the Department of Human Services to record any child welfare interview conducted by the Department when administering certain child welfare services. Requires the Department to store the recordings for a minimum of five years and under certain conditions. Prohibits the sharing of the recordings unless certain conditions are met. Establishes criminal penalties for violating prohibitions against sharing of the recordings.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Prohibits public establishments from denying shelter to any person when an emergency alert advises the public to immediately seek shelter during the establishments' normal business hours, under certain conditions. Clarifies that remuneration or expectation of remuneration paid to owners of private property for goods or services other than emergency access to land, shelter, or subsistence, including services or incidental commodities to the emergency access, does not void the exemption from civil liability afforded to these owners except where owners increase the sale price of the service or incidental commodities.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Establishes an executive committee and amends the membership and duties of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Commission). Requires each member agency of the Commission to implement its own actions to address certain strategies and goals established by the Commission. Establishes reporting and review requirements for member agencies relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and clean economy targets. Updates reporting requirements for the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation reports. Allows the Commission to enter into certain procurement contracts. Updates the zero emissions clean economy target.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII CLIMATE INSTITUTE.

Establishes the Hawaii Climate Institute at the University of Hawaii to support climate resilience and adaptation initiatives of the University and the State. Requires six per cent of the revenue generated by any increase to the Transient Accommodations Tax rates beginning on January 1, 2026, and by assessment of the Transient Accommodations Tax on gross rental proceeds derived from cruise fares to be allocated to the University of Hawaii annually to support the programs and operations of the Hawaii Climate Institute. Transfers the International Pacific Research Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology to the Hawaii Climate Institute. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.

Establishes a temporary Solid Waste Management Working Group in the Office of the Governor to examine materials management policies and programs that reduce solid waste and protect the environment, and to present a list of alternative technologies to address solid waste management. Requires a report to the Legislature. Repeals 6/30/2027. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office to contract with a third-party consultant to develop a Climate Protection Plan for delivery to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2029. Establishes a Climate Protection Advisory Committee to assist the third-party consultant. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish performance-based incentives, including revenue adjustment mechanisms, cost control mechanisms, and reward and penalty mechanisms on or before 1/1/2027. Clarifies that the Public Utilities Commission is authorized to adopt alternative ratemaking procedures to establish electric utility rates and performance-based incentives. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to apply a presumption in favor of considering historical cost trends and external indices that reflect incentives to control costs if the Commission resets an electric utility's allowed revenues based on consideration of the utility's costs. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL.

Establishes the position of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council Executive Director. Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, rather than the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, for the HISC for fiscal year 2026-2027. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES.

Requires each lease that the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity enters into, renews, or extends to include provisions stating that the Department may: (1) enter the leased premises; (2) order or otherwise require the lessee to maintain control of any invasive species on the leased premises; and (3) terminate the lease for refusal or violation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Prohibits the manufacture or sale of surfboard wax that contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Establishes a broad definition of "qualified health care provider" in numerous areas of existing law. Clarifies and standardizes references to specific health care providers. Updates outdated language to reflect correct terminology. Makes numerous clarifying and conforming amendments to support these changes, including but not limited to chapters related to health, education, insurance, professions and vocations, the pain patient's bill of rights, the Uniform Probate Code, minors, the Child Protective Act, and the Penal Code. Repeals the obsolete Hawaii Health Corps. Effective 1/30/2050. Implementation effective 7/1/2028. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.

Requires any disposition of more than one thousand acres of public lands to governments by the Board of Land and Natural Resources to be subject to approval by a majority vote of both houses of the Legislature. Requires the government seeking the disposition of the public land to submit for introduction to the Legislature a resolution containing certain information. Requires a copy of the draft resolution to be sent to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO DIGITAL ASSETS.

Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Division of Financial Institutions and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to conduct a two-year study to gather data on how to establish a state-level regulatory framework for stablecoin digital assets. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO CORRUPTION.

Establishes a statute of limitations of nine years for a bribery offense. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Requires the Office of Consumer Protection to submit an annual report to the Legislature regarding actions taken in response to potential violations of the Residential-Landlord Tenant Code. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Appropriates funds to the Executive Office on Early Learning to administer funding for family-child interaction learning programs.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO ELECTRIC ENERGY.

Requires electric utilities, excluding electric cooperatives, to maintain an online bill impact analysis tool for electric generation projects that provides full disclosure to ratepayers of the top-level assumptions used to calculate the per-project impact on customer bills. Requires electric utilities to submit an annual report to the Public Utilities Commission. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO VEHICLE TRANSFERS.

Requires each county Director of Finance to notify all applicable state and local agencies upon receipt of official notification of a vehicle transfer from a transferor. Requires each county Director of Finance to establish a centralized notification system to applicable agencies for every vehicle transfer by 7/1/2027.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO VACANCIES.

Amends the processes for addressing party candidate and state senator vacancies.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET.

Adjusts and requests appropriations for fiscal biennium 2025-2027 funding requirements for operations and capital improvement projects of Executive Branch agencies and programs.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Repeals on 6/30/2026 the provision prohibiting counties from requiring the installation or retrofitting of automatic fire sprinklers or automatic fire sprinkler systems in certain new or existing detached residential one- and two-family dwelling units and non-residential agricultural and aquacultural buildings and structures.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Prohibits the use of consumer fireworks except, by permit, for cultural use. Repeals portions of section 132D-3(1), HRS, that generally allow the use of consumer fireworks without a permit on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the Fourth of July. Specifies that no fireworks shall be sold to a permittee holding a permit issued for purposes of cultural use more than 5 calendar days before the applicable cultural use. Makes technical amendments to definitions of "consumer fireworks" and "cultural" within fireworks law.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

Appropriates moneys to support the State's gun buyback program, including at least two gun buyback events in each county. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

Appropriates funds to the Judiciary for the enforcement of gun violence protective orders. Appropriates funds to the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct public awareness campaigns on gun violence protective orders.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO OPIOID USE DISORDER TREATMENT.

Authorizes licensed paramedics in a county with a population of 100,000 or less to administer buprenorphine after administration of an opioid antagonist in cases of opioid overdoses, under certain conditions. Requires the Department of Health to implement a two-year phased pilot program beginning in one county with a population of 100,000 or less and authorizes expansion of the program statewide as additional treatment resources become available. Requires a report to the Legislature evaluating program outcomes. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2028. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Provides a temporary income tax credit for the cost of upgrading or converting a cesspool to a septic system or an aerobic treatment unit system or connecting to a sewer system. Permits the Department of Health, as a pilot program, to certify no more than two residential large capacity cesspools. Applies to taxable years after 12/31/2027. Sunsets 12/31/2032.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO WATER POLLUTION.

Appropriates general funds into and out of the water pollution control revolving fund to provide additional low-interest loans for eligible projects.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PSYCHOLOGY INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPACT.

Enacts, and authorizes the Governor to enter into, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

Repeals law that provides that all local ordinances or regulations that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices are preempted and that existing local laws and regulations conflicting with the state law on smoking are null and void. Clarifies that counties retain the authority to adopt ordinances that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices, as long as the ordinances do not conflict with and are more stringent than the state law on smoking.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Repeals the sunset provision in Act 45, SLH 2024, related to the counties' authorization to develop, construct, finance, refinance, or otherwise provide mixed-use developments.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

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 HOUSING.

Adds new preferences for state and county employees to the eligibility criteria for housing development programs administered by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Clarifies the Corporation's authority to adopt rules and determine the order of applicant preferences.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FAMILY.

Exempts, under certain circumstances, parties alleging domestic abuse from participating in mediation during paternity or divorce proceedings.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CONVEYANCE TAX.

Establishes the Homeless Services Special Fund. Allows counties to apply for matching funds from the Affordable Homeownership Revolving Fund for certain housing projects. Increases the conveyance tax rates for certain properties. Establishes conveyance tax rates for multifamily residential properties. Establishes new exemptions to the conveyance tax. Allocates collected conveyance taxes to the Affordable Homeownership Revolving Fund, Homeless Services Special Fund, and Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund. Amends allocations to the Land Conservation Fund and Rental Housing Revolving Fund.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Authorizes each county that has established a surcharge on state tax before 7/1/2015 to extend the surcharge until 12/31/2045 at the same rates if the county does so before 1/1/2028. Provides that no county surcharge on state tax authorized for a county that has not established a surcharge on state tax before 7/1/2015, shall be levied before 1/1/2019 or after 12/31/2045. Repeals certain conditions on the use of surcharges received from the State for counties having a population equal to or less than 500,000 that adopt a county surcharge on state tax.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Establishes a gradient penalty structure for the offense of hindering prosecution in the first degree, based on the level of offense hindered. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Amends the penalty for the unlawful possession, control, or transfer of a firearm or ammunition in violation of a valid judicial protective order or restraining order by reclassifying the offense from a misdemeanor to a class C felony. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO ASSAULT AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

Includes recklessly causing serious or substantial bodily injury to a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of duty as the offense of assault against a law enforcement officer in the first degree. Increases penalties for the offense of assault against a law enforcement officer in the first degree. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Establishes new deadlines for the completion of Law Enforcement Standards Board certification responsibilities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HABITUAL VIOLENT CRIME.

Amends Act 213, SLH 2024, by repealing its sunset date and requiring the Criminal Justice Research Institute to submit a one-time report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2031. Requires the Department of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Criminal Justice Research Institute, to submit ongoing annual reports to the Legislature. (SD2)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY SERVICES.

Exempts emergency medical services personnel from commercial driver's license requirements. Requires federal, state, and county firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, and law enforcement officers to maintain proof of successful completion of agency-approved or other state-approved training on authorized emergency vehicles. Amends the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" under the State Traffic Code to replace ambulances with emergency medical services vehicles. Expands the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" to include disaster response and recovery vehicles and Department of Health vehicles. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPTION OF COUNTY POSITIONS.

Exempts positions of a county Housing and Community Development Office or Department from civil service laws.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU.

Appropriates moneys as a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Information Technology to upgrade the driver's license and motor vehicle application systems.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Housing and Land Management and Department of Design and Construction of the City and County of Honolulu as grants-in-aid to comply with the requirements of Act 206, SLH 2017, and Act 210, SLH 2018. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Reestablishes the cesspool upgrade, conversion, or connection income tax credit. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT OF RETIRANTS.

Authorizes the rehiring of retirants for positions that are unique and critical to operations. Limits the duration of each retirant's reemployment to four years. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat