Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the Motion Picture, Digital Media, and Film Production Income Tax Credit (film tax credit) by providing additional credits to qualified productions that have a workforce of at least eighty per cent local hires in the first taxable year or second consecutive taxable year and meet other specific requirements, then increasing the local workforce threshold to eighty-two per cent in the third or fourth consecutive taxable year and eighty-five per cent in the fifth consecutive taxable year, that the additional credit is claimed; requiring independent third-party certification of qualified production costs for all film productions claiming the film tax credit; authorizing DBEDT to waive the credit cap per qualified production for one qualified production each fiscal year; and requiring the Hawaii Film Office to submit an annual report to the Legislature. Sunsets 1/1/2033. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO MARITIME DAY.

Designates May 22 of each year as Maritime Day. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO TAXES.

Excludes the sale of a motor vehicle to a lessor of rental motor vehicles for use as a rental motor vehicle as a sale at wholesale. Imposes the maximum allowable excise tax on the use of tangible personal property in the State for the importation or purchase of a motor vehicle by a lessor of rental motor vehicles for use as a rental motor vehicle. Establishes a Teacher Temporary Hazard Pay Special Fund to pay a temporary hazard pay bonus to certain eligible teachers. Beginning 7/1/2026 until 7/1/2030, deposits the additional tax revenue generated by this Act into the Teacher Temporary Hazard Pay Special Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. Sunsets 7/1/2030. (HD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO LIBRARIES.

Requires the State Librarian to establish an Imagination Library of Hawaii Program to provide one free book each month to children from birth through five years of age who reside in the State. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes a State Noxious Weed Coordinator position and updates the process for designating and managing noxious weeds. Allows public proposals to add, amend, or remove noxious weed designations. Requires notice and public reporting. Clarifies the authority of the Department and Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Authorizes updates to the noxious weed list to be adopted by order and classifies noxious weeds into three categories. Strengthens enforcement and penalties. Updates departmental duties for noxious weed control and eradication. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Mahina PoepoeDemocrat

RELATING TO DEPOSIT BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING.

Repeals the Deposit Beverage Container Program and replaces it with the Recycling Refund Producer Responsibility Organization Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nicole E. LowenDemocrat

RELATING TO RED HILL.

Appropriates funds for studies on remediation of substances released from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility; environmental monitoring and testing; research on groundwater modeling and sampling; and independent testing and verification of water data, to be published on a public dashboard. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to seek reimbursement from the United States Department of Defense. Effective 11/20/2121. (SD1)

Linda IchiyamaDemocrat

RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING UTILITIES.

Requires county boards of water supply to publicly disclose through their website service connection availability for residential permitting and construction. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO RECYCLING.

Establishes a mattress stewardship working group within the Department of Health to develop a program to ensure the collection, reuse, and recycling of mattresses, box springs, and mattress foundations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Allows an existing cesspool that lawfully serves a single dwelling or dwelling unit in a priority level 3 area to continue serving that dwelling or dwelling unit and additional bedrooms constructed on the same parcel and within the existing dwelling or dwelling unit, subject to certain conditions. Authorizes the Department of Health to adopt rules and restrict additional bedrooms where evidence demonstrates that continued cesspool use impacts water quality or human health. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

Beginning 7/1/2027, prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for certain developments and limits the minimum parking requirements that may be imposed for other developments. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Imposes conveyance tax on the transfer of a controlling interest of an entity with an interest in real property. Stipulates that the imposition of the conveyance tax on transfers of entity ownership shall not apply to any transfer of interest or acquisition between entities wholly owned by the same common ownership that results in no change in the beneficial ownership. Imposes the conveyance tax on certain transfers of real property at the lowest tax rate. Imposes liability on the transferee in the event that the transferor of the controlling interest does not pay the tax due. Effective 1/1/3028. (SD1)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO INJURIOUS MATERIALS.

Prohibits placing, dropping, or leaving destructive or injurious materials on highways, lanes, roads, streets, and alleys. Establishes penalties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

Establishes within the Office of Veterans' Services a mental health coordinator position at Tripler Army Medical Center. Provides that the mental health coordinator is appointed by and reports directly to the Director of the Office of Veterans' Services. Appropriates moneys. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO SPACE OPERATIONS.

Establishes within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism the Hawaii Orbital Sustainability and Space Traffic Board and orbital tracking and traffic management system. Establishes registration and compliance standards for aerospace activities in state airspace. Authorizes the awarding of research, education, and workforce development grants. Requires compliance with the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act and historic preservation requirements, and Native Hawaiian cultural consultation. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Requires the exclusive representative for bargaining unit (5) to appoint to the Board of Education a nonvoting public school teacher representative. Authorizes the nonvoting public school teacher representative to participate in all Board of Education meetings and enter into executive sessions, except in certain matters related to collective bargaining negotiations or personnel matters that may pose a conflict of interest. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM.

Requires the counties to adopt ordinances setting forth procedures and requirements for the review and permitting of agricultural tourism uses and activities as secondary uses, in addition to accessory uses, on a working farm or farming operation. Requires the counties' ordinances to include requirements that: the principal agricultural use on a working farm or farming operation preexists the issuance of any land use permit or building permit for any accessory and secondary use and agricultural tourism be allowed only on land on which productive agricultural use is occurring. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.

Creates a School Psychologists Working Group within the Department of Education to recommend actionable steps or propose legislation for an immediate pathway to licensure for school psychologists that can be acted upon in 2027. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

Establishes provisions limiting state and federal collaboration for purposes of immigration enforcement operations. Establishes identification and facial coverings standards for state and federal law enforcement officers. Establishes criminal offenses for improper facial coverings and lack of visible identification and unauthorized civil immigration arrest or detention. Effective 7/1/2055. (SD2)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Authorizes the Department of Transportation to evaluate intersections for the installation of leading pedestrian intervals, accessible pedestrian signals, and other safety improvements, as necessary, at state-owned or operated pedestrian signal heads. Requires the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the counties, to develop a program that allows pedestrians and community members to request the installation of accessible pedestrian signals at specific intersections. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Exempts motorcycles and passenger cars from safety inspections. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO PESTICIDES.

Beginning 1/1/2030, prohibits the use or application of a pesticide containing 1,3-dichloropropene as an active ingredient, such as Telone. Effective 7/1/3001. (HD3)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Establishes within the Department of Transportation a subsidized youth transit program for youth who are residents of the State, to be coordinated with the counties. Authorizes the Department to adopt rules, expand eligibility, and consult with the Department of Education on best practices, under certain conditions. Establishes the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund. Requires biannual evaluations of the new program and Special Fund. Allocates funds from the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund. Appropriates funds into and out of the Subsidized Youth Transit Program Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION.

Prohibits discrimination based on: (1) The perception that a person possesses certain characteristics; (2) The perception that a person is associated with a person who possesses, or is perceived to possess, certain characteristics; or (3) The intersection or combination of two or more specified characteristics in relation to a person. (SD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Amends the existing prohibition on conversion therapy by prohibiting the practice on persons under the age of twenty-five and the advertisement of such practice. Explicitly provides that talk therapy in the form of pure speech is exempt from the prohibition on conversion therapy. Takes effect upon the certification by the Attorney General that the Supreme Court of the United States has overturned the holding in Chiles v. Salazar, 116 F.4th 1178 (10th Cir. 2024). Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER, PLUS COMMISSION.

Expands the membership of the Hawaii State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus Commission from eight voting members to eleven by adding one seat for a person under the age of twenty-nine and one seat each for the appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President, respectively. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Exempts one six-hour strategic planning retreat of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii per year from open meeting requirements if certain conditions are met. Requires members of the Board of Regents to complete a governance training and attend the training at least once every two years thereafter. Requires the Candidate Advisory Council to ensure that all candidates presented to the Governor for nomination have certain subject matter experience and are not registered lobbyists who have lobbied on matters pertaining to the University of Hawaii. Exempts the financial disclosures of the Board of Regents as mandated by the State Ethics Code from being made public. Requires the Board of Regents, in collaboration with the Candidate Advisory Council, to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO AN EARLY LEARNING APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM.

Establishes an Early Learning Apprenticeship Grant Program to be administered by the University of Hawaii to provide financial support for early learning program service providers in the State to participate in state- or federally-approved early learning apprenticeship programs. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Establishes the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program within the Department of Health to offer eligible participants improved maternal health care through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes a working group to revise the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation's Qualified Allocation Plan and propose revisions to the prioritization of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund and the terms of loans made from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO COUNTY LABOR STANDARDS.

Authorizes the counties to require contractors to disclose information regarding their employees' wages, benefits, hours, and employment status. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

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 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO AN HONORARY AMBASSADOR TO CANADA.

Establishes an Honorary Ambassador to Canada position within the Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes an apprenticeship program income tax credit for certain qualified costs incurred by a taxpayer for a qualified apprenticeship program. Sunsets 12/31/2036. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL GAINS TAX.

Taxes capital gains tax for individuals, estates, and trusts as ordinary income, except for capital gains that are eligible for a county homeowner's exemption. Repeals the alternative capital gains tax for corporations. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO LICENSING.

Removes the barrier that requires applicants for professional or vocational licensing to be United States citizens, United States nationals, or persons with work visas. Allows an applicant to provide the applicant's individual tax identification number with a sworn affidavit in lieu of social security numbers when the applicant does not have a social security number. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION.

Specifies that a simple majority of affirmative votes of the members of the Land Use Commission present at a meeting and qualified to vote is required for any boundary amendment. Clarifies that a majority of all members to which the Land Use Commission is entitled shall be necessary to constitute a quorum. Clarifies that a two-thirds vote shall be necessary for actions taken by the Land Use Commission regarding Important Agricultural Lands. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION.

Except for Important Agricultural Lands, requires the Land Use Commission to reclassify lands that are designated for urban growth under a county general plan or county development plan as being in the urban district at the request of the county, subject to certain conditions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES.

Prohibits a person under the age of fifteen from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. Prohibits a person sixteen years of age or older from operating a class 3 electric bicycle unless the person satisfies certain requirements. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.

Requires the establishment of a biological aquatic risk-based framework for assessment and approval of aquatic livestock importation and movement. Authorizes the Division of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to adopt rules implementing species risk categorization, tiered biocontainment standards, per-arrival disease testing, and interagency coordination procedures. Establishes an interagency working group. Requires development of species-specific risk matrices, interagency working group coordination with automatic permit approval timelines, and performance accountability. Establishes an implementation timeline. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD.

Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO PROTECTING HAWAII'S FISHERIES.

Requires the Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules no later than June 30, 2030, establishing a statewide daily bag limit for ʻamaʻama during the open season; provided that the rules shall apply only to areas without management plans as of the effective date of the rules. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Lisa KitagawaDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes a 5-year Hawaii Builds Pilot Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and designates projects that meet specific requirements as Hawaii Builds Pilot Projects. Authorizes the Corporation to deploy moneys from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for predevelopment activities or as active construction equity. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Tyson K. MiyakeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE COUNTIES.

Expands on a county's experimental and demonstration housing project authority to include the development of commercial projects. Sunsets on an unspecified date. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO POLICING.

Establishes the Hawaii Center for Policing and Criminal Justice Research within the Social Science Research Institute, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa to house the Hawaii Crime Lab. Requires law enforcement agencies and law enforcement oversight agencies to collect and report certain data regarding law enforcement stops, uses of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab. Requires the Hawaii Crime Lab to collect and publish incident-level information and an annual report on the data collected. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to adopt rules, in coordination with the Hawaii Crime Lab, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and any community advisory boards. Appropriates funds for the establishment and operation of the Hawaii Center for Policing and Criminal Justice Research within the Social Science Research Institute, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa to support implementation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS.

Establishes safeguards, protections, oversight, and penalties for interactions between minors and artificial intelligence companion systems or conversational artificial intelligence services. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD2)

Trish La ChicaDemocrat

RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES.

Requires the School Facilities Authority to establish a pilot program to develop three new public schools in areas based on demonstrated need through public-private partnerships. Amends the powers of the School Facilities Authority. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Trish La ChicaDemocrat

RELATING TO STUDENT TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Department of Education to establish a student bus fare rate system that includes free school bus passes for students who meet certain statutory requirements. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Trish La ChicaDemocrat