Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to contract with community-based organizations to provide preventive and early intervention mental health services to adolescents within the community. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTH CARE.

Requires health care providers using artificial intelligence (AI) in patient interactions to disclose to the patient that the patient is interacting with artificial intelligence. Requires health care providers using AI in making consequential decisions relating to the patient to provide certain notice and statements to the patient; maintain a qualified AI oversight personnel who shall be a natural person that reviews, evaluates, and validates or overrides AI outputs; monitor and conduct regular performance evaluations of their AI systems; implement procedures to address identified deficiencies; and maintain certain records. Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules. Implementation effective 7/1/2028. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Generally prohibits the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building to minors. Provides certain exceptions for vitamins and protein products.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURER PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.

Establishes the Prior Authorization Committee to specify medical conditions for which prior authorization by the insurer for treatment is not required for health insurance coverage. Requires health plan insurers to align their prior authorization processes for other conditions with Medicare policies.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO FORFEITURE.

Extends the period during which a surety, surety insurer, or bail agent may file a motion or application to set aside the bond or recognizance forfeiture from thirty days to ninety days. Ensures that proper notice of a bail forfeiture judgment is provided to a surety or bail agent. Affirms that a judge may impose financial conditions of release and maintain full discretion to consider individual circumstances. Allows a surety or bail agent to apply to set aside a forfeiture, even if a prior motion has been filed. Subjects bail bond forfeiture proceedings to Rule 60 of the Hawaii Rules of Civil Procedure. Prohibits forfeiture from being ordered in any felony case.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO BAIL.

Amends bail and peace bond forfeiture rules to predicate forfeiture on whether bail providers performed and continue to perform their duties with reasonable diligence. Clarifies when bail providers may discharge their duties. Specifies the factors that courts shall consider in determining if bail providers are performing their duties with reasonable diligence or are negligent and should be subject to forfeiture. Requires courts to hold a hearing to order a forfeiture. Extends the deadline to file motions to set aside forfeitures. Clarifies that courts may extend, waive, or modify any procedural deadlines in forfeiture proceedings. Species that bail providers are not in privity with defendants, and therefore not barred res judicata from filing certain motions.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO EXCITED DELIRIUM.

Prohibits excited delirium from being recognized as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death in the State. Prohibits a medical examiner, coroner, or health care provider from stating on a certificate of death or in any report that the cause of death was excited delirium. Prohibits law enforcement officers from using the term excited delirium to describe an individual in an incident report. Establishes a new Hawaii Rule of Evidence that deems evidence that a person experienced or suffered an excited delirium inadmissible in a civil action. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO LIGHT POLLUTION.

Requires all outdoor light fixtures to be fully shielded. Creates exemptions for certain outdoor lighting. Repeals the Night Sky Protection Strategy. Appropriates funds.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOSPITAL PRICE TRANSPARENCY.

Requires each hospital licensed in the State to provide an annual attestation to the State Health Planning and Development Agency that the hospital is in compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements. Permits patients to file a counterclaim against debt collection actions filed by hospitals to determine if the hospital is in compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements. Requires hospitals to provide patients with an easy-to-understand itemized bill statement before initiating a debt collection action against a patient. Effective 1/30/2050. (HD1)

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO SURGICAL ASSISTANTS.

Requires the Hawaii Medical Board to require each person practicing medicine or podiatric medicine as a surgical assistant in the State to be licensed as a surgical assistant. Establishes exceptions. Requires the Hawaii Medical Board by rule to establish the application procedure, medical educational and training standards, examination requirements, if any, for surgical assistant licensure and degrees of supervision for surgical assistants. Establishes the Surgical Assistant Advisory Committee. Expands the services eligible for Medicaid Prospective Payment System reimbursement to include certain services furnished by a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic and provided by surgical assistants.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a Medicaid buy-in program for workers with disabilities. Requires the Department to adopt rules.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO MEDICAL CANNABIS.

Repeals statutory language that currently authorizes the Department of Law Enforcement to: (1) inspect a qualifying medical cannabis patient's medical records held by the health provider who issued a written certification for the qualifying patient; and (2) suspend or revoke a health provider's ability to issue written certification for medical cannabis if the provider refuses the foregoing inspection, or if the medical records do not comply with the medical use of cannabis law.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION.

Requires that employers pay all workers' compensation claims for compensable injuries and not deny claims without reasonable cause or during a pending investigation. Creates a presumption of compensability for claims submitted by employees excluded from coverage under the Hawaii prepaid health care act. Requires that employers notify medical services providers of any billing disagreements and allows providers to charge an additional rate to employers for outstanding balances owed for undisputed charges. Establishes dispute resolution procedures for employers and providers who have a reasonable disagreement over charges. Requires employers to deny a treatment plan within 3 days of receipt of a treatment plan or the treatment plan is deemed accepted.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Includes housing projects for individuals with disabilities and individuals with access and functional needs as eligible projects to apply for expedited permits. Effective 7/2/2026. Repeals on 6/30/2031.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Establishes the Illegal Fireworks Enforcement Division within the Department of Law Enforcement. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2028. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO 911 SERVICES.

Requires the 911 Board to establish, implement, and maintain a statewide emergency safety profile system that allows residents to voluntarily create and manage secure personal profiles containing information relevant to emergency responses.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO DEMENTIA.

Establishes the Hanai Memory Network Program within the Executive Office on Aging to create a network of dementia care specialists and support systems to assist individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Appropriates funds.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO ENABLE LEGISLATION BY THE PEOPLE.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to provide for initiative and referendum.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO ENABLING LEGISLATION BY THE PEOPLE.

Provides for initiative and referendum procedures. Takes effect upon ratification of a constitutional amendment enabling legislation by the people.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE.

Establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate within the Office of the Ombudsman to oversee and evaluate the delivery of services to children and their families by various state agencies and entities, receive and investigate complaints, and make recommendations for improvement. Requires annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, and public. Appropriates funds.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS.

Establishes a goal for the State to achieve a ranking among the top 10 states in the nation for business competitiveness by 2045. Defines and requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to select a "ranking metric" and establishes interim goals. Requires DBEDT to establish a working group to develop and recommend policies that improve Hawaii's business competitiveness. Requires annual reports to Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Requires Huli Au Ola to conduct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention to be located on and serve the island of Molokai. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO POLLUTION.

Requires the Department of Health to establish and administer a centralized reporting system for the public to report solid waste pollution complaints. Increases penalties for solid waste pollution violations. Establishes a state-county illegal dumping task force and reporting requirements. Increases penalties for felony and petty misdemeanor disposal of solid waste. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS.

Provides that an individual who becomes a lessee of a tract of Hawaiian home lands, either as an original lessee or as a successor lessee, shall forfeit any interest as an original lessee or successor lessee in any other tract of Hawaiian home lands and be removed from any applicant waitlist.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Establishes requirements for the clinical review criteria and clinical practical guidelines used to establish step therapy protocols. Provides a process for a patient to request an exception to using step therapy protocols. Establishes insurance coverage requirements relating to the use of step therapy protocols and standards to appeal an adverse step therapy exception determination.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO BIODIESEL.

Requires the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to adopt rules to require that diesel fuel sold in the State for use in on-highway diesel-powered motor vehicles contains no less than five per cent biodiesel by volume.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO VEGETATIVE BURNING.

Prohibits the Department of Health from issuing permits for commercial burning of green waste products in residential areas or within one thousand feet of a residential property.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO BROTHER JOSEPH DUTTON DAY.

Designates April 27 of every year as Brother Joseph Dutton Day.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

Amends the offense of promoting a controlled substance in, on, or near schools, school vehicles, public parks, or public housing projects or complexes to include homeless facilities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO ABUSE OF FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.

Maintains the petty misdemeanor offense of abuse of family or household member by repealing the sunset of amendments made to sections 709-906 and 853-4, HRS, by Act 19, SLH 2020. Repeals provisions authorizing a deferred acceptance of a guilty plea for misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor abuse of family or household members offenses.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO ELDER CRIME VICTIMS.

Removes state of mind requirement pertaining to a victim's age for felony assaults aggravated by the victim's age.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES.

Expands the scope of persons who are required to file financial disclosures to include gubernatorial nominees subject to Senate confirmation. Makes technical amendments relating to legislators. (SD2)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO BRIBERY.

Establishes heightened penalties for the offense of bribery under certain circumstances. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO REVOLVING DOOR RESTRICTIONS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.

Prohibits new state employees from taking official action on matters they worked on before state employment. Prohibits former permanent employees of the Office of the Governor and Office of the Lieutenant Governor from representing persons or businesses for a period of 12 months after termination from state employment. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO NEPOTISM.

Subjects legislative and judicial employees to the same ethical standards prohibiting nepotism that are applicable to other state employees.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES.

Expands the scope of persons who are subject to public financial disclosure requirements. Makes technical, conforming amendments to disclosure provisions applicable to legislators. Clarifies that an amount of stock may be reported by the value or number of shares. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND USE.

Requires any petitioner for a district boundary amendment to obtain a written statement from the Commission on Water Resources Management on water availability in the hydrologic unit or units where the parcel is located and provide that certification to the Land Use Commission. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Amends the deadlines for the upgrade or conversion of cesspools to Director of Health-approved wastewater system or connection of cesspools to a sewerage system. Requires priority 1 cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected by 12/31/2050, and phases the deadlines for lower priority cesspools in later years. Requires the Director of Health, in consultation with the counties, to determine the prioritization level of all cesspools in the State.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PSYCHOLOGY INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPACT.

Enacts, and authorizes the Governor to enter into, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FIRE PREVENTION.

Requires each state agency to create and regularly update a wildfire hazard map. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules. Specifies that the Department of Land and Natural Resources shall clear brush present on state lands for more than sixty days through the Community Fuels Reduction Project. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to remove certain brush from high- and medium-risk wildfire areas on state lands. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.

Makes an application for voter registration part of the enrollment application or course registration process for Department of Education high schools. Requires eligible student applicants to be given the choice to be registered to vote. Requires updating of names and addresses of eligible student applicants who are already registered to vote unless the applicant declines. Requires the sharing of certain information among the counties, Department of Education, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Clarifies the definition of "qualified nonprofit housing trust" in chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to require qualifying organizations to exclusively serve "qualified residents" as defined in section 201H-32, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Requires the Department of Transportation to require each person arriving in the State at an airport with a state-funded Wi-Fi service to view a one-minute educational video on the environmental protection laws and regulations of the State and counties before the person is granted access to the Wi‑Fi service. Requires the Department to collaborate with the Hawaii Tourism Authority to develop the educational video. Expands the responsibilities of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to include the implementation and administration of tourism-related initiatives, in collaboration with other public agencies, that are designed to educate visitors on the environmental protection laws and regulations of the State and counties. Appropriates funds.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO ADDITIVES IN FOOD.

Beginning January 1, 2027, bans the manufacture, sale, offer of sale, or distribution in the State of any food that contains certain petroleum-based synthetic food dyes and synthetic chemical additives.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Amends the State Internship and Workforce Development Program for the public sector by expanding the program to the Legislative and Judicial branches; limiting the internships to full-time placements of ten to eleven months; establishing eligibility criteria, application requirements, and selection preferences; and requiring the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to collaborate with coordinating agencies to promote the program and recruit eligible applicants. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO LUNG CANCER SCREENING.

Requires the Department of Health to develop by 12/31/2026, standardized educational materials relating to lung cancer screening and language on lung cancer screening information to be included in signage and written notices to be used by retailers of tobacco products. Beginning 1/1/2027, requires retailers engaged in the retail sale of tobacco products to display signage on lung cancer screening at each point of sale and provide written notice on lung cancer screening to each buyer of a tobacco product.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO A TINY HOME GRANT PILOT PROGRAM.

Establishes a three-year Tiny Home Grant Pilot Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Requires counties and nonprofit organizations that are awarded a grant to submit an annual report to the HHFDC. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds and establishes a position. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO AIR POLLUTION.

Allows air pollutants collected by a complainant or Department of Health's Clean Air Branch master to be used as evidence to initiate complaints on air pollution; in hearings in connection with air pollution; and in legal proceedings in the name of the State for the prevention, control, or abatement of air pollution.

Stanley ChangDemocrat