Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

Expands the ban on pistols with a detachable magazine with over a ten-round capacity to any firearm with a detachable magazine with over a thirty-round capacity. Exempts detachable ammunition magazines with a capacity in excess of thirty rounds that are designed for or capable of use with any firearm other than a pistol obtained before 1/1/2026. Effective 1/1/2026. (SD2)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Adopts the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act (2023), as modified, to replace existing chapters related to advance health care directives and advance mental health care directives. Requires the Attorney General to convene a working group. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 1/30/2050. Implementation effective 7/1/20209. (SD2)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS.

Clarifies and updates the sex trafficking and promoting prostitution criminal offense statutes by refining the definition of "profits from prostitution," establishing an affirmative defense to these offenses for certain lawful transactions, and making technical and other housekeeping amendments. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THEFT.

Requires a mandatory twelve-month minimum sentence of incarceration, without the possibility of parole, for a conviction of theft in the first degree when the value of the property or services stolen exceeds $250,000, whether imposed as a mandatory minimum sentence for an indeterminate term of imprisonment or as a condition of probation, in addition to any other authorized disposition such as restitution or a fine. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO RECORDINGS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.

Establishes the right of a person to record law enforcement activities. Establishes a private right of action for any violation of the right to record law enforcement activities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Prohibits a procurement officer from disclosing a competing offeror's proposal or evaluation score, except the summary of scores, during a debriefing requested by a non-selected offeror. Authorizes the disclosure of a competing offeror's proposal or evaluation score after a protest is resolved and the contract is executed.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Establishes a framework for the creation of the Hawaii Violent Death Reporting System, to be federally funded, for the purposes of collecting information and data on violent deaths in the State. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL GRANT ADMINISTRATION.

Creates an agricultural grant program and revolving fund for the purposes of grant application, execution, reporting and auditing to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Effective July 1, 2026.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LANDLORD-TENANT CODE.

Prohibits a landlord from recovering possession of a dwelling unit from a tenant if the habitability of the premises is significantly impaired. Caps a tenant's liability for rent if the habitability of the premises is significantly impaired. Provides remedies for retaliatory evictions.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO FALSE IMPERSONATION OF UNION REPRESENTATIVES.

Prohibits a person from falsely impersonating an employee organization representative. Establishes a cause of action and civil remedies. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

RELATING TO A MARITIME YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAY PROGRAM.

Requires Honolulu Community College, in partnership with state agencies and maritime employers, to conduct a study and develop a plan for a statewide Maritime Youth Apprenticeship Pathway Program for individuals ages 16 to 24. Requires a report to the Legislature with recommendations on program structure, resource needs, proposed legislation and implementation options. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES.

Appropriates moneys to the Department of Health for the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Watershed-based Water Quality Monitoring Pilot Program for the Waikele Watershed. Requires report to the Legislature. Appropriates moneys to the Division of Aquatic Resources of the Department of Land and Natural Resources for mangrove removal and shoreline and stream maintenance in the Nineteenth Senatorial District and nearby areas, including the West Loch and Middle Loch shorelines. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

RELATING TO MEDICAL RECORDS.

Establishes fees that medical providers may charge for requests for a patient's medical records from the patient's family member, caregiver, or representative. Requires medical providers to respond to requests in a timely manner. Establishes penalties.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO INCOME TAX CREDIT.

Establishes a nonrefundable Workforce Builder Tax Credit for employers who employ qualified interns and apprentices, to be applied to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO FINANCIAL LITERACY.

Requires the Department of Education to implement financial literacy instruction into existing courses in public high schools that have sufficient overlap with financial literacy program standards beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Requires the Board of Education to provide professional development to teachers. Authorizes the Board of Education to adopt rules. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO HUNTING.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules regarding safe and humane hunting practices of feral pigs and hunting dog welfare standards. Establishes requirements for the hunter education program instruction. Includes the use of dogs to torture wildlife or game mammals as torture in the second degree. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

Replaces the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Requires counties to revoke licenses for the sale of fireworks for licensees that have violated restriction on the sale of fireworks. Prohibits licensees that have violated restrictions on the sale of fireworks from obtaining a new license.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.

Requires a seller of real property adjacent to the shoreline, and the seller's agent, to disclose and include in all advertisements certain shoreline erosion issues related to the parcel. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources, by 7/1/2028, to establish the Hawaii Coastal Resilience Acquisition and Leaseback Program. Establishes the Coastal Resilience Revolving Fund. Clarifies the calculation of acquisition price for coastal properties, the conditions of leasebacks, and the limitation to liability assumed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources under the Hawaii Coastal Resilience Acquisition and Leaseback Program.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Repeals the sunset date of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, thereby making permanent the authority of the counties to share in facilitating the development, construction, financing, refinancing, or other provision of mixed-use developments, including low- and moderate-income housing projects, and issue county bonds for this purpose.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT.

Allows public petition to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for review of the integrity of beach structures. Requires the Department to recommend the applicable county agency to order the owner of any beach structure determined to be imminently threatened to resolve, mitigate, and plan for the harmful effects of the beach structure. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO BEACHES.

Clarifies that the prohibition on the mining or taking of beach or marine deposits, including sand, seaward from the shoreline applies to licensed and unlicensed contractors. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CONVEYANCE TAX.

Renames the Beach Restoration Special Fund as the Beach Preservation and Restoration Fund. Establishes the Special Subaccount of the Special Fund. Requires that all conveyance tax revenues collected from the conveyance or transfer of real property located in whole or in part in a sea level rise exposure area be deposited into the special subaccount of the Special Fund. Allows funds in the special subaccount of the Special Fund to be used to acquire property. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Amends the sunset date of Act 83, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, to repeal section 46-19.8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, on June 29, 2025.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE.

Establishes the Hawaii Climate Institute at the University of Hawaii. Transfers the functions of the International Pacific Research Center at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to the Hawaii Climate Institute. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO SEX-BASED DISCRIMINATION.

Clarifies and strengthens the State's protections against sex-based harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation that occur in public schools, public charter schools, or at the University of Hawaii, including discrimination based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and pregnancy-related conditions. Establishes procedures for investigations and decision-making. Requires mandatory reporting by certain employees. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to conduct a comprehensive legal review. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Prohibits the sale of tickets at a price at least ten per cent more than the primary sale price charged by the primary venue ticket provider for events held in the State. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to impose fines for any violations. Effective 7/1/2050. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Amends the definition of "cultural". Prohibits the use of consumer fireworks except for cultural use by permit. Repeals the wording of section 132D-3(1), HRS, that generally allows the use of consumer fireworks without a permit on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the Fourth of July. Makes it unlawful to offer, display for sale, sell, or furnish consumer fireworks to any person except for cultural use by permit, with a cap of not more than five permits per person. Prohibits the sale of fireworks to a person more than 5 calendar days before a permitted cultural use. Imposes a fee of $25 per permit for the purchase and cultural use of consumer fireworks. Imposes a statewide limitation on consumer fireworks, except by permit for cultural use. Effective 7/1/2025. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PREFERRED NAMES.

Requires the Department of Education to implement a process to allow students to use preferred names to strengthen inclusivity in public schools.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Makes it an unfair or deceptive act or practice for businesses to: offer, display, or advertise the price of live-ticket events or short-term lodging without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; and misrepresent any fees or charges in any offer, display, or advertisement for the sale of live-event tickets or short-term lodging.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Prohibits government entities from making personal information publicly accessible through a publicly accessible information system or publicly accessible source of information, except under certain conditions. Allows individuals who reasonably believe their personal information is publicly accessible through a government entity's publicly accessible information system or publicly accessible source of information to submit a written notice to the entity to require corrective action. Establishes a cause of action to compel compliance. Establishes statutory penalties for intentional noncompliance. Requires government entities to adopt and implement policies and procedures to prevent personal information from being publicly accessible. Requires government entities that own, license, maintain, use, collect, or possess personal information to implement and maintain certain reasonable security procedures and practices to protect the personal information. Requires government entities to provide notice to individuals in the case of a breach of a security system protecting personal information. Requires government entities to submit an annual report to the Legislature. Effective 1/1/2525. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PRIVACY.

Adds definitions of "identifier" and "specified data element" and amends the definition of "personal information" for the purposes of notifying affected persons of data and security breaches under the State's data breach notification law. Includes telecommunications carriers subject to and in compliance with certain federal provisions among the businesses deemed compliant with this law. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ANIMAL IMPORTATION.

Requires, as a condition of entry into the State, documentation verifying that any dog or cat imported into the State has been surgically sterilized, subject to certain exemptions. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to forward declarations of intact animal importation to appropriate county animal control agencies or contractors. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PET ANIMALS.

Prohibits insurers from refusing to issue or renew, canceling, restricting, otherwise terminating, or charging higher rates for a commercial general liability insurance policy, homeowners insurance policy, renters insurance policy, or dwelling fire policy based on the breed of any dog that is kept on the insured premises.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO WILDLIFE.

Increases the fines for taking or harassing protected turtles in the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ANIMAL ENDANGERMENT.

Allows law enforcement officers, animal control officers, and firefighters to enter an unattended vehicle to protect the health, safety, or well-being of a pet animal that is endangered by being left or confined in an unattended vehicle. Allows private citizens to rescue a pet animal that has been left in an unattended vehicle under certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO DOGS.

Establishes an additional penalty for a dog owner whose dog destroys property while on land zoned for agricultural use. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING.

Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to allow any resident of a public housing project or state low-income housing project to keep one or more pet animals in the resident's unit, subject to applicable state laws, county ordinances, and any reasonable conditions. Prohibits pet animals from being at-large on public housing premises. Provides that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority may charge a refundable deposit for each pet animal but shall not impose a monthly pet fee or pet rent. Allows the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to remove a vicious animal to protect persons or property. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Amends Act 289, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, to replace the Senior Residence at Iwilei parcel with the Westridge parcel, change the transfer date for the Alii Tower parcel to 12/31/2026, changes the deadline for approval by the City and County of Honolulu to 12/31/2027, and changes the repeal date to 1/1/2028.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Requires the Hawaii Community Development Authority to establish a Community Action Center in Chinatown. Expenditure contingent upon the City and County of Honolulu providing matching funds. Appropriation.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil action in the name of the people of the State as parens patriae against any responsible party to recover certain costs or obtain certain relief, including costs and losses incurred by the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, or other state entities, resulting from climate attributable harm or costs for risk of future climate attributable harm. Authorizes the Hawaii Property Insurance Association and Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, or any private insurer licensed in the State to bring a civil cause of action against a responsible party to recover its costs and losses resulting from climate attributable harm. Establishes the Climate Disaster Special Fund to collect and disperse funds collected from certain civil actions to be distributed in a certain order of priority. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE PLANNING ACT.

Establishes green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines for state facility systems, infrastructure, and transit projects in the Hawaii State Planning Act to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. Adds a definition of "green infrastructure". Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to submit a report to the Legislature making recommendations for implementing green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO WATER.

Establishes a public trust purpose for the Commission on Water Resource Management. Allows the Commission on Water Resource Management to retain independent counsel. Repeals the First Deputy to the Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resource Management. Establishes the Executive Director of the Commission on Water Resource Management. Administratively attaches the Commission on Water Resource Management to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Authorizes members of the Commission on Water Resource Management to be eligible to serve as chairperson. Requires the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Director of Health to serve as ex officio voting members ineligible to serve as chairperson. Authorizes entities to whom an emergency order is directed to challenge the order under certain conditions. Clarifies the notification requirements and contents of declarations of water shortages. Establishes fines. Makes conforming amendments. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE LEGISLATIVE VACANCIES.

Establishes unspecified deadlines for the governor to appoint, and for political parties to nominate, individuals to fill certain state senatorial vacancies. Provides that if the Governor fails to appoint an individual to fill a state legislative vacancy by an applicable statutory deadline, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make the appointment within an unspecified number of calendar days after the deadline.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Establishes a two-year Keiki Fare-Free Transit Pilot Program on Oahu and Kauai. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.

Removes historic sites and the Waikiki special district from the requirement for environmental assessments under section 343-5, HRS.

Chris LeeDemocrat