Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO THE CRANSTON DUKE PIA ACT.

Establishes that, in certain circumstances, an actor rightfully present on agricultural lands may exercise deadly force with a right to stand the actor's ground and not retreat.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO FARM TO FAMILIES.

Establishes the Hawaii Farm to Families Program to alleviate food shortages in the State. Requires reports to the Legislature prior to the Regular Sessions of 2026 and 2027. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM.

Establishes statewide, uniform standards to promote agricultural tourism activities in the State by establishing state agricultural tourism activity requirements that are applicable to all counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance. Requires agricultural tourism activities to be registered by the county planning commission. Requires agricultural tourism activities to coexist with an agricultural activity on a farming operation and requires termination of the agricultural tourism activities upon cessation of the agricultural activity. Makes conforming amendments.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

Clarifies that the prohibition against board and commission holdover members from holding office beyond the end of the second regular legislative session following the expiration of the member's term of office takes precedence over any conflicting statutes.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS.

Prohibits active employees of the University of Hawaii and the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii from serving on the Board of Regents.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS.

Amends the Uniform Information Practices Act to require each contract to perform a government function to expressly require the contractor to retain records in accordance with the retention schedule of the agency and provide the agency with access to all records subject to the Uniform Information Practices Act; define "government function" and "trade secret"; clarify that "government record" includes information that is created, received, maintained, or used by a private person in performance of a government function contract; and prohibit agencies from denying a request for access to records of a contractor used in the performance of a government function on the basis of trade secret or other proprietary information. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO SERVICE CHARGES.

Prohibits restaurants from imposing a mandatory gratuity service charge for the sale of food or beverage services unless the party includes ten or more customers, the service charge does not exceed eighteen per cent, and the customer is notified of the service charge.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL CRIME.

Establishes a permanent Agricultural Crimes Task Force to address the issue of agricultural crime in the State. Establishes the offense of agricultural crime to increase penalties for committing certain property crimes on agricultural property. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO GREEN BONDS.

Establishes a Green Bonds Working Group within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Establishes the Land Dedication for Agricultural Education program within the Department of Education. Requires the Department of Education to consult with the Department of Taxation to establish tax incentives for land developers who dedicate land for educational purposes. Requires the Department of Education to consult with the Department of the Attorney General to establish penalties. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes an agroecological and climate-smart farming practices tax credit. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CRIME.

Specifies that the penalty for sex trafficking shall be payment of a fine of no less than $200,000 but no more than $500,000, and a definite term of imprisonment of up to 20 years without the possibility of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole. Provides that consent to sexual conduct is not a defense. Defines "sexual conduct". Specifies that a minor who commits an offense under section 712-1207(1)(a), HRS, shall be guilty of a violation instead of a petty misdemeanor. Provides that a person who reports that the person is a victim of sex trafficking shall not be subject to criminal liability for an offense involving sex trafficking or prostitution. Increases the penalties for commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. Requires DHS to implement services and programs for survivors and training for law enforcement. Appropriates funds. Requires annual report.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO OAHU CORAL REEF RESILIENCE ENHANCEMENT.

Establishes bag limits for kala, nenue, and uhu fish around the island of Oahu. Requires the Division of Aquatic Resources to conduct population assessments of these fishes and report to the Legislature. Sunsets on 6/30/2035.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the Board of Education to adopt a policy that bans the use of phones and related devices by students during school hours.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATIONS.

Establishes the Ombudsman's Office for Condominium Associations within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Updates the Condominium Property Act to integrate the role and functions of the ombudsman's office for condominium associations. Appropriates funds for establishment of the Ombudsman's Office for Condominium Associations.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO BURIAL SITES.

Establishes an inter-division program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources consisting of certain agencies to address the location, movement, and restoration of Hawaiian burial sites or ‘iwi, exposed or likely to be exposed by coastal erosion. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

Transfers the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development for administrative purposes. Removes the manager of the Coastal Zone Management Program from the Commission. Adds a representative from the University of Hawaii to the Commission. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII'S SPACE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING INITIATIVE.

Appropriates funds for salaries and fringe benefits of positions for the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy's Space Science and Engineering Initiative Workforce Development Program, Maunakea Scholars Program, and Internship Program. Appropriates funds for office equipment and supplies, operational costs, and stipends for the Maunakea Scholars Program and Internship Program.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for continued exploration and identification of geothermal resources and commercial viability for utility-scale geothermal production in counties with a population of less than 300,000, with certain limitations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO COMBAT SPORTS.

Establishes the Combat Sports Commission of Hawaii. Provides for regulation of combat sports. Prohibits no rules combat or similar contests. Repeals chapter 440E, HRS, relating to Mixed Martial Arts Contests. Appropriates funds.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY.

Prohibits the abortion of a fetus that is capable of feeling pain. Prohibits abortions by dismemberment. Provides certain exceptions. Establishes penalties.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO TOWING.

Requires towing truck operators to obtain a towing license. Establishes the Towing Authority within the Department of Transportation to issue towing licenses and regulate towing operations. Prohibits the act of vehicle mobilization without a valid towing license. Prohibits the counties from enacting ordinances that provide less consumer protections than state law. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated for Bargaining Unit (5), provides annual salary step increases for public school teachers and educational officers who have completed a year's satisfactory service and comply with specified requirements.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO TEACHER WORKFORCE HOUSING.

Establishes a Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program to support teacher retention at public and charter schools classified as rural and underserved. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE-OWNED HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND INHERITED LANDS.

Establishes the State-Owned Historic Properties Preservation Plan Working Group within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure the preservation of state-owned historic properties and inherited lands. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Extends the offense of false labeling of Hawaii-grown coffee to include roasted coffee. Imposes a mandatory $10,000 fine for each separate offense of false-labeling of Hawaii-grown roasted coffee. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO FINANCIAL LITERACY.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a statewide financial literacy curricula plan for public high schools. Requires all public high schools to offer instruction in financial literacy as a requirement for graduation. Requires the Department of Education to provide professional development to teachers on financial literacy. Requires the Board of Education to adopt administrative rules to implement the financial literacy education curriculum.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

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. Effective 7/1/3000. Applies retroactively to 3/11/2021. (HD1)

AQUINO

RELATING TO PHARMACISTS.

Authorizes a registered pharmacist under contract with a covered entity for purposes of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to supervise the filling or receipt of a prescription via telehealth in certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

AQUINO

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Prohibits covered entities in the State from entering into contracts with drug manufacturers that limit the covered entities' use of contract pharmacies. Voids contract provisions for certain drugs if the provisions are based on the maximum allowable cost payment model. Authorizes the attorney general to bring a civil action for violations.

AQUINO

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Establishes a schedule of late fees to be added to the original unpaid claim amount if a health insurer, mutual benefit society, or health maintenance organization fails to pay a provider within the required time.

AQUINO

RELATING TO HOUSING ASSISTANCE.

Establishes the Emergency Home Loan Assistance Revolving Fund to be administered by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Establishes terms for loans issued from the Revolving Fund. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 1, SECTION 5, OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION RELATING TO DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit discrimination against a person because of ethnicity, age, disability, religion, national ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO HIGHWAY SAFETY.

Amends the administrative process at the Administrative Driver's License Revocation Office. Establishes a tiered administration revocation period of a driver's license for those arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Prohibits the collection, sale, or disclosure of any driver data that is obtained by a motor vehicle or other connected car service, feature, or application to any third-party without the explicit consent of the owner or lessee of the vehicle. Designates exemptions. Requires any disclosure notification for any data collection to be clear and conspicuous. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPARENCY.

Requires under the State's wage compensation laws that food, beverage, and service establishments that accept tips and employ tipped employees post signs that include language explaining their tip allocation practices and the contact information for the Wage Standards Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Wage and Hours Division of the United States Department of Labor. Establishes back wages and penalties as available remedies for employees in the event of a violation. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSITIONAL HOMES.

Establishes the Hawaii Efficient Transitional Homes Commission to provide recommendations for the efficient, effective, and transparent management of transitional homes. Requires annual reports to the Legislature.

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.

Limits moving violations arising from the operation of a motor vehicle that appear on traffic abstracts to those that resulted in convictions. Requires the Traffic and Emergency Period Violations Bureaus to remove all dismissed moving violations not resulting in a conviction from certified abstracts. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO WARNING LABELS.

Requires, beginning 7/1/2027, any carcinogenic food or product sold or distributed in the State to include a warning label, in a format determined by the Department of Health. Defines "carcinogenic" as a food, product, or chemical classified as group 1 or group 2A by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. Appropriates moneys.

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Establishes the Department of Environmental Protection. Renames the Department of Health as the Department of Community Health. Renames the Department of Human Services as the Department of Healthcare Services. Administratively attaches the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund to the Department of Healthcare Services. Transfers certain responsibilities between departments.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE STATE AUDITOR.

Requires the State Auditor to conduct management and financial audits of Medicaid health care insurance contractors at least once every two years, with the first audit report to be submitted no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2027. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION EDUCATION.

Requires the Department of Education to implement a plan for a Hawaiian language immersion school in Kapolei that shall be ready to educate students in grades kindergarten through 12 by the 2028-2029 school year. Appropriates moneys.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO INTEGRATED LAND USE.

Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct an integrated land use study for the use of lands within the agricultural districts and submit interim and final reports to the Legislature.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA.

Imposes labeling requirements for māmaki tea grown in the State.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program and grant program, to assist certain farmers and livestock producers with transportation costs for agricultural products, inputs, supplies, and production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture a working group to review and make recommendations on amending or repealing unnecessary or obsolete laws pertaining to agriculture. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL BIOSECURITY.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture for permanent positions in agricultural biosecurity established by Act 231, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, and various biosecurity programs. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat