Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO LEAF BLOWERS.

Defines "residential zone" for purposes of leaf blower restrictions to include residential districts, apartment districts, and business mixed use districts.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS.

Establishes enhanced penalties for multiple violations of the same liquor law by licensees in a county with a population of 500,000 or more, under certain circumstances.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR.

Restricts the sale of liquor under temporary liquor licenses to confined and demarcated spaces not located on public streets, roads, sidewalks, or pedestrian walkways. Applies restrictions to temporary liquor licenses granted to nonprofit organizations.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the - school year, requires public elementary, middle, and high school classes to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Requires the Department of Education to adjust state-provided bus and school meal schedules accordingly.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, requires each public school in the State, including charter schools, to employ, or retain under contract, at least 1 mental health professional for every 250 students enrolled, subject to certain conditions. Requires the Department of Education to submit a progress report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026. Appropriates moneys for the Department of Education to contract for mental health professionals and to establish an unspecified number of fulltime equivalent mental health professional positions within the Department of Education. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO INCLUSIONARY ZONING.

Prohibits any law, ordinance, or rule from imposing an inclusionary zoning requirement on housing offered exclusively for sale or rent in perpetuity to buyers or renters who are residents of the State, are owner-occupants or renters, and do not own any other real property. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING.

Establishes the Department of Housing. Places the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and Hawaii Public Housing Authority within the Department of Housing for administrative purposes. Replaces the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism with the Director of Housing on the Hawaii Community Development Authority. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO DEPOSITS OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

Requires the Director of Finance to consider, before the selection of a depository for the state treasury, the beneficial effects to the State of using depositories within the State, including but not limited to lending at favorable terms for the creation of certain affordable housing units. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Requires eligible applicants of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to be either governmental agencies or organizations that are required to use all financial surplus, excluding fees, to develop additional housing in the State. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO THE RENTAL HOUSING REVOLVING FUND.

Establishes the Mixed-Income Subaccount within the Rental Housing Revolving Fund that targets workforce rental housing projects for persons and families with incomes at or below one hundred forty per cent of the area median income. Authorizes the Director of Finance to transfer funds from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund into the Mixed-Income Subaccount. Appropriates funds into and out of the Mixed-Income Subaccount of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to consider as a preference under chapter 201H, HRS, the proximity between the housing location and the applicant's place of employment; whether the applicant is a state or county employee; and whether the applicant is a returning resident that left the State to attend a university, college, or trade school and has graduated within the past two years. Requires, for any project developed or administered by the HHFDC under chapter 201, HRS, the HHFDC to set aside as a matter of preference an undetermined per cent of available units for state or county employees, when feasible. Requires HHFDC to determine the order of preferences and rank applicants accordingly, select applicants based on application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants, and validate the preference status of applicants before occupancy of a unit. Authorizes HHFDC to adopt rules to establish additional eligibility criteria.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO COUNTY PERMITS.

Requires county permitting agencies to establish and fill positions exclusively to process permit applications submitted for state projects. Appropriates funds. Effective 5/13/2040. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

Establishes the Office of the State Architect within the Department of Accounting and General Services to be headed by the State Architect. Authorizes the State Architect to organize, manage, and oversee the design review of all state construction projects and issue design approvals. Establishes the Design Review Special Fund. Requires the State Architect to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature. Authorizes DAGS to provide centralized design review services for state construction projects and issue design approvals through the State Architect. Exempts state construction projects from county building permit, inspection, and certificate of occupancy requirements, subject to certain conditions. Makes appropriations.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes a working group to revise the State's Qualified Allocation Plan, the prioritization of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, and the terms of loans made from the RHRF. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Clarifies that the dwelling units eligible for the Rent-to-Own Program shall be units that are for sale in fee simple or leasehold on state or county land under a lease with an initial term of not less than ninety-nine years. Increases the time period that the sales price of dwelling units under the Rent-to-Own Program shall remain fixed from five years to ten years after the rental agreement is executed. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL LEASEHOLDS.

Exempts state and county lands leased after July 1, 2025, for an initial period of not less than ninety-nine years from chapters 516 and 516D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.

Makes an application for voter registration part of certain state agency application processes. Requires the sharing of certain information among certain state agencies, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DWELLING UNIT REVOLVING FUND.

Establishes the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Program. Repeals the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program. Clarifies that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation may utilize funds in the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for the purchase of equity in for-sale housing development projects and interim primary or secondary financing.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO VOTING.

Requires the Department of Human Services' Med-QUEST division to automatically transmit applicants' voter registration information to the Office of Elections and clerk of the county of the applicant's residence, subject to certain conditions. Authorizes the Office of Elections to designate state agencies for automatic voter registration if the agency collects, processes, or stores certain information. Updates methods for automatic voter registration conducted by the Examiner of Drivers. Makes conforming amendments. Effective 1/30/2026.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Conforms the Hawaii income tax laws to the provision of the American Rescue Plan Act relating to tax treatment of restaurant revitalization grants. Applies retroactively to taxable years beginning after 12/31/24.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOTELS.

Requires hotelkeepers to provide adequate notice of service disruptions to third-party vendors and guests under certain conditions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, establishes a pilot program that requires the Department of Education to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator training for public school students in grades six through twelve as part of existing health or physical education curriculum. Requires all public elementary, middle, intermediate, and high schools in the state to have a cardiac emergency response plan as part of the pilot program. Establishes standards for the cardiac emergency response plan. Requires school officials to work with county emergency medical service providers to integrate the cardiac emergency response plan into the counties' emergency response plan into the counties' emergency medical service provider protocols. Authorizes uncertified trainers to instruct others in the administration of an automated external defibrillator or cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the course does not result in certification. Terminates at the end of the 2029-2030 school year.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO PERMITS.

Establishes an exemption from applicable county permit requirements for repetitive construction projects for facilities under the control of the Department of Education, University of Hawaii, or School Facilities Authority. Repeals 1/1/2030.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes a two-year pilot program that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, requires the Department of Education to provide free school lunch to all students enrolled at a department school. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Repeals on 6/30/2027.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to establish three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions within the Division of Student Success' Counseling and Student Development Center.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

Repeals existing law that preempted local ordinances or regulations that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices and nullified and voided any conflicting local laws and regulations. Allows counties to adopt ordinances that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices that do not conflict with and are more stringent than the state law that govern smoking.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO A COMPENSATORY TIME CASH-OUT PILOT PROGRAM.

Establishes a Compensatory Time Cash-Out Pilot Program for eligible employees of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation who work in any state correctional facility. Appropriates funds.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, requires the Department of Education to include the teaching of financial literacy in the personal transition plan requirement for each student.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE.

No later than January 1, 2026, requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to install and maintain automated external defibrillators in all state buildings, including all public schools. Requires DAGS to establish a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and work with the counties to implement the plan into the counties' emergency service provider protocols. Requires DAGS to provide trainings on the use of automated external defibrillators and the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for state employees and security staff of certain state agencies. Makes appropriations.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Decreases the time period for the legislative body of a county to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove housing developments exempt from certain requirements pursuant to section 201H-38, HRS, from forty-five days to thirty days.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS.

Increases the mandatory minimum jail sentence for a first conviction of knowingly or intentionally violating a temporary restraining order from forty-eight to seventy-two hours. Requires mandatory mental health counseling for a first conviction of knowingly or intentionally violating a temporary restraining order.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO VEHICLE SAFETY.

Creates additional fines for any individual found operating a vehicle or moped without a current certificate of inspection.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO TRAFFIC CITATIONS.

Authorizes the Department of Law Enforcement to establish traffic cameras and issue a citation by mail for certain violations of traffic-related laws. Establishes that intentional destruction or damage to a traffic camera is a class C felony.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO LOW-SPEED ELECTRIC BICYCLES.

Increases the minimum age to operate a low-speed electric bicycle from fifteen to sixteen years of age.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a wealth proceeds surcharge on high-income individuals, estates, and trusts. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE COUNTIES.

PART I: Authorizes county boards of water supply to produce, use, and sell electricity generated from renewable energy sources. PART II: Authorizes counties to establish a process by which subcounty governing entities can designate funding streams within the county budget and submit budget allocation resolutions to county councils.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes the Vacant and Blighted Residential Property Redevelopment Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Appropriates funds.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

Prohibits certain foreign parties from owning, purchasing, or acquiring an interest in agricultural lands. Establishes an Office of Agricultural Intelligence within the Department of Agriculture to investigate claims that land is unlawfully owned by a prohibited foreign party. Requires the Attorney General to undertake enforcement activities. Appropriates moneys.

Brenton AwaRepublican

RELATING TO AIR FILTERS.

Prohibits the sale and use of disposable air filters beginning January 1, 2030. Requires the State to establish reusable air filters as the new standard.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT NEAR UTILITY LINES.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to create and annually update a wildfire hazard map. Requires private and public property owners to trim grasses within certain proximities of public rights of way and utility lines, enforced by the State Fire Marshal as to State-owned land and the applicable county fire department as to privately owned land. Authorizes electric utility companies to enter private or public property to trim or remove hazardous vegetation. Appropriates funds. Effective 6/1/2050. (SD2)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO NEONICOTINOIDS.

Classifies neonicotinoid pesticides as restricted use pesticides and establishes a list of chemicals that shall belong to the neonicotinoid class of chemicals. Prohibits the sale or use of seeds coated or treated with neonicotinoid pesticides. Requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules that identify and regulate the most harmful neonicotinoid pesticide formulations and develop guidelines for safer alternatives.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE AQUACULTURE INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT.

For taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025, establishes a 5-year aquaculture investment tax credit for taxpayers that incur qualifying investment costs relating to qualified aquaculture businesses. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Beginning January 1, 2026, prohibits an insurer of property, homeowner's, or renter's insurance from increasing the premium for a policyholder's insurance policy upon renewal unless the insurer submits a report to the policyholder and Insurance Commissioner and receives approval from the Insurance Commissioner. Establishes penalties. Sunsets 1/1/2029.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO AQUARIUM FISH PERMITS.

Exempts persons engaging in aquaculture research from the aquarium fish permit requirement. Defines aquaculture research.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION.

Establishes the Wildfire Mitigation Working Group. Requires a report to the Legislature. Requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide administrative support to the working group. Appropriates funds. Revises the appropriations made by Act 302, SLH 2025. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

Appropriate funds into and out of the Hawaii Historic Preservation Special Fund for the State Historic Preservation Division to inventory historic properties and burial sites in the State, collect data on burial site locations, and conduct an archaeological survey necessary to compile the inventory. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Appropriates funds to establish positions within the Division of Aquatic Resources of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO TREES.

Establishes a two-year Fruit Tree Harvest Pilot Program. Requires state agencies, to the extent practicable, to plant fruit trees in new or renovated landscaping that includes trees within the boundaries of the program. Authorizes persons to harvest fruit from those fruit trees. Provides that the State is not liable for any injuries or illnesses resulting from the harvesting or ingesting of fruit, including food-borne illness. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Brenton AwaRepublican