Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

Specifies a time limit for the validity of a finding of no significant impact of a final environmental assessment or acceptance of a final environmental impact statement for a proposed action. Requires an agency or applicant to commence a new environmental review process for the proposed action if the validity expires.

Mahina PoepoeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF ATTORNEYS BY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Provides an exemption for public charter schools and their respective governing boards from the statutory prohibition on retaining independent legal counsel.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO HOME HEALTH LICENSING.

Authorizes the Department of Health to accept accreditation from an accreditation organization or a certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as demonstration that a licensed home health agency is in compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State. Specifies conditions under which a home health agency may be exempt from a licensing inspection on a continuing basis. Requires information obtained in reports of survey and accreditation or certification letters to be public information.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Repeals certain prohibitions on the imposition of fees, conditions, or requirements on community retail pharmacies that are not imposed on mail order pharmacies.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.

Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Requires insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the cost of prosthetic devices, including activity-specific prostheses, and orthotic devices for policies, contracts, plans, and agreements issued or renewed on or after 1/1/2027. Establishes an unspecified minimum yearly benefit for prosthetic devices and orthotic devices.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Excludes from the offense of unlawful shipment of tobacco products the direct sale of large cigars and pipe tobacco to adult consumers for personal use. Effective 1/1/2027.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO THE MINIMUM WAGE.

Repeals the minimum wage and tip credit increases that are to occur on 1/1/2028.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO JURY DUTY.

Allows actively practicing advanced practice registered nurses to claim exemption from service as a juror.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Short form bill relating to early learning.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT.

Requires any person applying to the Department of Health to contract or extend or renew a contract to operate certain residential treatment programs to, as a condition of the contract, obtain and maintain a general liability insurance policy with a certain minimum coverage amount; submit to the Department for review and approval a community safety action plan; and provide to the community association or neighborhood board in the community in which the program will operate a written notice of the program's establishment and location and the community safety action plan.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

Reduces the quorum requirement for boards and commissions to a majority of current voting members of a board or commission. Reduces the number of affirmative votes needed to validate action of a board or commission to a majority of members voting at a meeting with quorum.

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

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.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO GAMBLING.

Prohibits any casino, gambling enterprise, or gambling facility from being located on state lands within or adjacent to the Aloha Stadium Development District project area or on any lands under the jurisdiction of the Stadium Authority. Prohibits athletic programs of the University of Hawaii from competing in venues that are operated by or physically integrated with a gambling enterprise while clarifying that standard naming-rights or advertising agreements do not constitute prohibited sponsorships.

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Short form bill relating to education.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO SENTENCING REVIEW.

Establishes a procedure for incarcerated individuals who have served at least ten years of their sentence to petition the court for a sentence reduction. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to report to the Legislature Hawaii Paroling Authority, and Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO REDRESS FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION AND IMPRISONMENT.

Requires the State to provide written notice to certain persons regarding the ability to file a claim for redress under applicable wrongful conviction law. Requires the liberal construction of that law. Provides for advance compensation for petitioners under certain circumstances. Requires reports to Legislature from the Department of the Attorney General.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Beginning 1/1/2027, prohibits the sale of flavored nicotine products and nicotine product flavor enhancers and the mislabeling of e-liquids as nicotine free. Establishes penalties for violations. Authorizes the Department of Health to appoint, commission, or contract for services of inspectors. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMERCE.

Short form bill relating to commerce.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill relating to consumer protection.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO NONPROFITS.

Short form bill relating to nonprofits.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill relating to consumer protection.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO ANTITRUST.

Short form bill relating to antitrust.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

Prohibits a person from lending a firearm to a person who does not have a firearm permit or does not have a registered firearm. Requires an adult who is borrowing a firearm to have either a firearm permit or a registered firearm, and not be prohibited to own or possess a firearm. Specifies that an adult who is twenty-one years of age or older may be lent a rifle or shotgun for a period not to exceed twelve hours. Repeals the authorization to use a rifle or shotgun outside of the State for up to seventy-five days. Repeals the authorization to lend a rifle or shotgun without a permit.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO LODGING.

Short form bill relating to lodging.

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO CORPORATIONS.

Requires domestic and foreign corporations to provide their shareholders with reports of independent expenditures and political contributions.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO DEFAMATION.

Protects individuals who make claims of sexual misconduct from defamation lawsuits unless the claims were proven to be made with malice.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR.

Establishes clear criteria for unpaid student internship programs under the state wage laws.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO ATTACHMENT AND EXECUTION OF REAL PROPERTY.

Increases the real property exemption amount for attachment or execution.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes the Small Housing Provider Grant Program under Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to provide grants to eligible property owners of multi-family buildings for renovations, repairs, and addressing hazardous and unsafe living conditions. Appropriates funds.

Tina Nakada GrandinettiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE RIGHT TO GARDEN.

Authorizes the cultivation of vegetable gardens on properties within planned community associations and condominiums. Prohibits planned community associations and condominiums from prohibiting or restricting the cultivation of vegetable gardens via their association documents.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FORTIETH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriated funds for capital improvement projects in the 40th representative district.

Julie Reyes OdaRepublican

RELATING TO CHILDREN.

Ensures the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of all infants born alive in the State. Mandates medically appropriate and reasonable life-saving and life-sustaining medical care and treatment to all born alive infants. Establishes civil and criminal penalties.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT.

Provides that investigative powers of the Department of Human Services under the Child Protective Act include interviews of adults living in the family home and the alleged perpetrator in the; Requires DHS to record and save adult interviews conducted as part of an investigation of a report of harm, threatened harm, or imminent harm to a child and to include recorded adult interviews in any filed petition for removal.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT.

Authorizes the Department of the Interior of the United States to adopt certain regulations for the purposes of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. Provides that not less than 5 of the members shall be beneficiaries who are native Hawaiian as defined in section 201(a) of the Act, and that not more than 4 of the members shall be descendants of not less than one-fourth part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands previous to 1778.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.

Short form bill relating to destination management.

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO PARENTAL RIGHTS.

Prohibits the State and counties from adopting or ordaining any rules, regulations, or ordinances that infringe upon a parent's right to direct the upbringing, education, care, and welfare of the parent's child, except in certain narrowly tailored circumstances.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO PROPERTY.

Establishes an expedited procedure to remove persons from a property who are not tenants or former tenants. Establishes criminal offenses for persons who illegally occupy and damage property, for making a false statement to detain real property, and for fraudulent sale or lease of residential real property.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO OPIOID ANTAGONISTS.

Requires each Department of Education classroom to be equipped with an opioid antagonist. Requires the Department of Education to train employees on opioid-related drug overdose prevention, recognition, and response and opioid antagonist administration. Appropriates moneys.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS.

Requires counties that use neighborhood boards to ensure that: (1) Board member terms do not exceed one year; and (2) Neighborhood residents may vote for members of their corresponding neighborhood board by electronic means and in-person means. Requires certain reports to and from the Office of Elections. Appropriates moneys.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO CUSTODIAL INTERFERENCE.

Includes in the crime of custodial interference in the first degree the taking, enticing, concealing, or detaining of a minor from a person who has a right to custody pursuant to a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Prohibits hospitals and medical facilities from using mechanical, chemical, or physical restraints or seclusion on minors and vulnerable adult patients, except when necessary.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS.

Establishes a licensing system for medical cannabis cultivation. Facilitates the transport of medical cannabis. Expands the scope of authorized actions for medical cannabis patients. Provides that qualifying out-of-state patients need not register with the Department of Health. Protects medical cannabis patients and cultivation licensees from undue discrimination.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO CLEAN AND SOBER HOMES.

Requires clean and sober homes with five or more residents to obtain a conditional use permit issued by a county agency. Requires, rather than permits, the Department of Health to establish a clean and sober homes registry and requires the Department to conduct unannounced visits and inspections of homes on the registry.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

Establishes and appropriates funds for a small business fee waiver program within the Business Registration Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to waive certain fees for applicants registering a new small business in the State for the first time.

Shirley Ann TemploDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING COOPERATIVES.

Requires the Executive Office on Early Learning to establish parent-staff early learning collectives to combine professional early-learning services with structured parental involvement. Establishes an Early Learning Cooperative Advisory Council. Appropriates funds.

Jeanne KapelaDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND REGISTRATION.

Directs the Department of Land and Natural Resources to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing land registration systems and transition to a single, unified registry system; oversee the digitization of all land records into an online database; and ensure equitable access, establish a fee structure, and conduct public outreach on how to use the new system and access records. Appropriates funds.

Shirley Ann TemploDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ISLAND OF HAWAII.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds for capital improvement projects for the benefit of the Island of Hawaii.

Matthias KuschDemocrat

RELATING TO MISSING PERSONS.

Establishes and appropriates moneys for a Missing Indigenous Person Alert program to help locate indigenous persons who are missing and thought to be in danger.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO FLOOD MITIGATION.

Appropriates funds for a flood mitigation study of Hoaka Road in Hilo, Hawai‘i, contingent upon a dollar-for-dollar match by the County of Hawai‘i.

Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee LoyDemocrat