Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO THE HAWAII INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL.

Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to support its initiatives to control and eradicate invasive species in the State. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM INCENTIVES.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Agriculture for the continued administration of the Hawaii Healthy Food Incentive Program and to provide matching funds to beneficiaries who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

Prohibits the denial of a school meal to a student based on the student's ability to pay. Requires the Department of Education and department schools to certify that all students eligible for certain programs receive free or reduced-price meals. Prohibits a department school from publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student. Requires the school to directly inform a parent or guardian regarding a student's unpaid meal fund account balance.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND RESTORATION.

Creates the Aloha Aina Land Trust to rehabilitate and manage lands transferred by the United States military to the State after the leases for those lands expires. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Prohibits any person from engaging in any activity that has the intent and effect of distracting drivers along streets, roadways, or other public property within one hundred feet of an intersection.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Establishes a ridesharing fee. Deposits fees collected into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO AIRCRAFT.

Requires the Director of Transportation to adopt rules that require tour aircraft operators to carry aircraft liability insurance coverage. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Designates student transportation as critical infrastructure and a critical service for Hawaii's public education system. Requires all school bus contracts between the State and the contractor to include certain standards, performance metrics, and accountability requirements to prevent service disruptions.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.

Authorizes the use of motorcoaches, small buses, and vans for school bus services if certain conditions are met.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.

Establishes the Workforce Housing Regulatory Sandbox Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Establishes an Advisory Council within the Workforce Housing Regulatory Sandbox Program to advise on environmental and cultural practices within specific developments. Establishes a position. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Repeals 6/30/2030. (SD1)

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO WILDFIRES.

Establishes the Wildfire Recovery Fund. Allows securitization for electric utilities. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS.

Requires all health care providers who accept Medicare to provide a cognitive assessment as part of the Medicare Part B annual wellness visit for Medicare beneficiaries sixty-five years of age or older, with certain exceptions. Requires health care providers to submit certain information to the Executive Office on Aging and the Executive Office on Aging to report de-identified aggregated data to the Legislature on an annual basis. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2026.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Reestablishes the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii as an organized research unit within the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) that is administered by a director appointed by the University of Hawaii's board of regents with direct lines of reporting to the chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, provost of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and dean of JABSOM. Requires funds expended from the Research and Training Revolving Fund for JABSOM and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii to be used for research and research-related purposes only. Repeals provisions that required the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii to be administratively affiliated with JABSOM.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.

Requires state executive branch departments, offices, and other agencies to comply with directive number 19-02, Hawaii Administrative Directives, as extended by directive number 23-01, Hawaii Administrative Directives. Requires reports to the Legislature. (SD1)

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO IMPACT FEES.

Authorizes condominium associations and planned community associations located in a zoning district that allows for transient vacation rentals to impose an impact fee on owners who use their units as transient vacation rentals.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE.

Makes mandatory the suspension of the driver's license of a driver or registered owner of a vehicle for operating a motor vehicle without a motor vehicle insurance policy.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Allows authorized employees of the Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to inspect and provide a certificate of certain evidence of speed limit violations obtained by automated speed enforcement systems. Appropriates funds to the Department of Transportation to establish and implement the automated speed enforcement systems program.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Civil Rights Commission to receive and investigate complaints related to acts of discrimination committed by transportation network company drivers against riders with service animals and report the results of its investigation to the Department of Transportation, which shall issue penalties to transportation network companies.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO WATER USE.

Authorizes the Commission on Water Resource Management, as a condition for issuing permits, to require the use of dual line water supply systems in new residential and mixed-use developments located in designated water management areas. Authorizes those residential and mixed-use developments to be included in irrigation projects, as defined in chapter 167, HRS. Authorizes the Board of Agriculture to investigate and survey the availability of nonpotable water. Requires the Department of Health, Board of Agriculture, and the counties to update their rules, ordinances, to allow dual line water supply systems in residential and mixed-use developments.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO A STATE BREAST MILK BANK.

Establishes a state breast milk bank under the Department of Health. Establishes the breast milk bank special fund. Appropriates moneys.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO THE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION.

Requires at least two members of the Real Estate Commission to be licensed professional engineers or architects engaged in business in the State for three years immediately preceding the appointment. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO ELECTRONIC SERVICE OF PROCESS.

Allows businesses in the State to designate an email address to accept service of process in lieu of continuously maintaining a registered agent in the State.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO VACANT HOMES.

Establishes a Vacant Homes Special Fund under the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation for rental assistance programs. Establishes a general excise tax surcharge on an owner that allows a residential real property to remain vacant for 180 days or more a year. Requires persons who own residential real property, but do not live there, to obtain a general excise tax license. Requires the counties to disclose to the Department of Taxation a list of properties classified as not being occupied by an owner of that property. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to calculate average annual rental value for the basis for the surcharge amount.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.

Establishes the Malama Aina Visitor Impact Tax Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to allocate funds to state agencies to improve the quality of visitor experience to sustain the economic benefits contributed by the visitor industry and protect, restore, and manage the State's natural and cultural resources. Establishes the Malama Aina Visitor Impact Tax Special Fund to fund the program. Increases the transient accommodations tax by one per cent from 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2030 and requires the additional tax revenues to be deposited into the Special Fund. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Repeals 12/31/2030.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO POSITIONS AT THE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine for faculty positions in the fields of cardiovascular biology, tropical medicine, and quantitative health biostatistics, and an environmental health and safety officer staff position. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

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. Repeals the separate conveyance tax rates for the sale of a condominium or single family residence for which the purchaser is ineligible for a county homeowner's exemption on property tax and 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 general fund. Amends allocations to the Land Conservation Fund and Rental Housing Revolving Fund.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Transfers the jurisdiction of the Motor Carrier Law from the Public Utilities Commission to the Department of Transportation. Transfers the jurisdiction of the Water Carrier Act from the Public Utilities Commission to the Department of Transportation. Makes conforming amendments. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2027.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS.

Prohibits counties from permitting or allowing retention or detention ponds to be constructed except under certain conditions. Establishes safety requirements for retention and detention ponds statewide. Requires the department of health to conduct a survey of existing retention and detention ponds statewide.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO WATER SAFETY.

Requires, and appropriates funds for, the Department of Education to establish a standards-based Water Safety Education Pilot Program.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Prohibits health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations from arbitrarily denying coverage requests for gender affirming health care services when the requested service is known to be considered a standard of care and for which scientific evidence exists that supports the service. Increases transparency of insurance carrier medical necessity reviews and requirements when coverage is denied.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XVII, SECTION 3 OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO SPECIFY THAT THE STANDARD FOR VOTER APPROVAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY THE LEGISLATURE IS A MAJORITY OF ALL THE VOTES TALLIED UPON THE QUESTION.

Proposes to amend article XVII, section 3 of the Hawaii State Constitution regarding the standard for ratification of a constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, to require that a majority of all the votes tallied upon the question be a "yes" vote, and not include blank, spoiled, and over votes in determining whether a majority was reached. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Establishes the Shipping Container Inspection Program. Requires the Department of Law Enforcement to submit reports to the Legislature on implementation of the Shipping Container Inspection Program. Exempts employees of the Department of Transportation and DLE from personal liability under certain conditions. Requires any damages to container goods be borne by the State. Requires DLE and DOT to designate a site outside of the immediate port area to conduct inspections. Require the DLE to secure all illegal goods. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Beginning 1/1/2026, requires contracts for services awarded to community-based organizations by the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, or Judiciary in support of fulfilling their statutory mandates to individuals, families, and communities in the State to include certain protections against inflation. Appropriates funds to the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Judiciary to increase the contract price in existing contracts for certain services provided by community-based organizations in support of fulfilling their statutory mandates to individuals, families, and communities in the State.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

Establishes a working group for legal services for youth in the child welfare system within the Judiciary. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds for the working group. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DWELLING UNIT REVOLVING FUND.

Extends the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program to 6/30/2030. Gives preference to for-sale housing development projects developed under governmental assistance programs approved by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO MEAT DONATION.

Exempts the donation of wild game meat, including axis deer, by a hunter for the use or distribution by a charitable, religious, or nonprofit organization to needy persons from certain laws regarding the inspection and transportation of meat. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO WASTEWATER SYSTEMS.

Establishes a 3-year New Wastewater Technology Testing Pilot Program within the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center to test and evaluate new wastewater technology systems. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes within the Department of Human Resources Development the State Internship and Workforce Development Program. Establishes positions within the Department. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENTAL EFFICIENCY.

Authorizes executive and administrative departments and agencies to enter into intergovernmental and partnership agreements with private sector entities, nonprofit organizations, and other governmental bodies. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Effective 5/13/2040. (SD2)

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation the Government Employee Housing Program. Establishes the Government Employee Housing Revolving Fund. Clarifies eligibility for the Government Housing Revolving Fund and Government Employee Housing Program. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO THE WORKS OF ART SPECIAL FUND.

Specifies that the works of art special fund's one per cent transfer requirement shall apply only to capital improvement appropriations for the original construction of state buildings. Amends the authority for funds from the works of art special fund to be used only for costs related to the acquisition of works of art. Appropriates funds.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Establishes requirements for insurers relating to claims for additional living expenses under homeowners insurance policies, including situations where losses are incurred during a state of emergency. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Requires the Insurance Commissioner to convene a working group to identify, assess, and recommend certain risk transfer market mechanisms. Requires annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Exempts from the state general excise tax the sales and gross proceeds from sales of construction rebuilding materials for residential and commercial properties in federally declared disaster areas. Applies only to rebuilding materials purchased between 7/1/2025 and 12/31/2028. Requires a third party to issue the certification for projects qualifying for the exemption for disaster construction rebuilding materials. Sunsets on 12/31/2028. Effective 1/1/2026. (SD1)

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

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 HOUSING.

Authorizes certain counties to establish a rental unit price ceiling ordinance that prohibits a landlord from increasing the rental price of a dwelling unit at a rate that exceeds the percentage calculated and published by the county based on changes in the applicable Consumer Price Index. Beginning 8/1/2025, requires certain counties to annually calculate and publish the maximum rate at which a landlord may increase the rental price of a dwelling unit during the immediately succeeding twelve-month period. Establishes a nonrefundable Long-Term Residential Lease Tax Credit for taxpayers who own and lease a dwelling unit located in a county that has adopted a rental unit price ceiling ordinance to a person as the person's principal residence in the State pursuant to a lease agreement of a term of one year or longer. Allows the tax credit to be carried forward for up to three taxable years. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Requires certain landlords to provide a specified notice to a tenant regarding the tenant's potential right to purchase the property, under certain conditions. Allows tenants, families, local governments, affordable housing nonprofits, and community land trusts forty-five days to match or beat the best bona fide offer to buy an eligible affordable housing property.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat