Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FORTY-FIRST REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the 41st representative district.

David Alcos IIIRepublican

RELATING TO THE TAKING OF MARINE DEPOSITS.

Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to approve permits for research, education, management, or propagation purposes that include the taking of marine deposits seaward of the shoreline, as long as the resources will be returned to the beach if possible and that the taking poses no more than a minimal or negligible risk to the environment. Effective 1/1/3000. (SD1)

Lisa KitagawaDemocrat

RELATING TO ADOPTION.

Requires the Department of Human Services to place a link on its public website homepage directing users to information to assist women throughout pregnancy and provide options for adoption. Establishes an Adoption Promotion Task Force.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.

Transfers school impact fees from the Kalihi-Ala Moana school impact district to the School Impact Fees subaccount of the School Facilities Special Fund for the acquisition and renovation of one or more buildings, or the acquisition of land and construction of a new building, in the 96813 zip code to develop and expand pre-kindergarten and charter school capacity. Provides that the funds appropriated and expended shall be used to serve students residing within the Kalihi-Ala Moana school impact district, with certain exceptions. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO LIBRARIES.

Clarifies that the Board of Education, through the State Librarian, has exclusive authority over the development, use, support, and improvement and maintenance of public library system facilities. Allows the Board of Education to authorize the State Librarian to exercise exclusive control of certain land for development or expansion purposes, subject to legislative appropriation. Requires the Department of Education to expeditiously cooperate with the State Librarian and Hawaii State Public Library System to effectuate any project authorized by the Board of Education on certain lands. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Appropriates funds to the State Public Charter School Commission for prekindergarten-only public charter schools. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Daniel HoltDemocrat

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Appropriates funds for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands projects eligible for general fund revenues that are generated by increases in transient accommodations tax collections and intended to be expended equally across projects related to natural resources, climate resilience, and destination management. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Daniel HoltDemocrat

RELATING TO THE RENTAL HOUSING REVOLVING FUND.

Authorizes the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to be used to provide loans or grants to eligible individuals to purchase rental units.

Daniel HoltDemocrat

RELATING TO GAMBLING.

Establishes the misdemeanor offense of promoting gambling in the third degree.

Daniel HoltDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY.

Requires the Advisory Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to be composed of seven, rather than twelve, members. Requires the Governor to appoint members to the Advisory Board from lists provided by certain organizations representing the tourism industry.

Daniel HoltDemocrat

RELATING TO COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS.

Changes the name of entities organized under chapter 421C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, from consumer cooperative associations to cooperative associations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT.

Requires hotelkeepers to supply and provide annual training on the proper use and limitations of a panic button to certain workers no later than 1/1/2027.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.

Requires any disposition of more than one thousand acres of public lands to governments by the Board of Land and Natural Resources to be subject to approval by a majority vote of both houses of the Legislature. Requires the government seeking the disposition of the public land to submit for introduction to the Legislature a resolution containing certain information. Requires a copy of the draft resolution to be sent to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO NET INVESTMENT INCOME TAX.

Establishes a net investment income tax.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO FAMILY SAFETY.

Establishes comprehensive reforms to protect children and families from abuse and improve systemic responses. Part I: Establishes the calendar year 2027 as the Year of Resilience, Safety, and Survivor Justice. Part II: Modernizes statutory definitions of harm and child abuse. Part III: Recognizes coercive control as domestic abuse. Part IV: Reforms Family Court procedures to prioritize child safety and prohibit parental alienation theories. Part V: Defines economic abuse and strengthens financial protections, including automatic restraining orders, emergency hearings, forensic accounting authority, and liability for financial institutions. Part VI: Safeguards neurodivergent children and prohibits diagnosis shopping. Part VII: Protects reproductive privacy in custody proceedings. Part VIII: Enhances Child Welfare Services Branch accountability through audits and creation of a Child Welfare Ombudsman. Part IX: Requires automatic protective orders and custody restrictions in cases of severe violence. Part X: Creates a Family Violence Docket with mandatory judicial training and an advisory panel.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Establishes the Hawaii Geological Survey in the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Designates the Director of the Survey, rather than the Geophysics and Planetology Institute specialist qualified in geology, as the State Geologist.

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to support certain programs. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM.

Establishes and appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaii Employer-Led Sector Partnerships Special Fund. Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to coordinate its sector partnership activities with the Workforce Development Council. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

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

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the eighth representative district.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO PRETRIAL REFORM.

Requires release on recognizance for defendants charged with violations, traffic offenses, nonviolent petty misdemeanors, nonviolent misdemeanors, and nonviolent class C felonies, subject to conditions. Establishes exclusions for specified offenses, threats to public safety, and certain other circumstances. Requires findings when bail or detention is imposed, ongoing review of continued detention or conditions, and a prompt hearing if bail cannot be posted. Requires prosecutors to notify victims of pretrial decisions. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD2)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

Implements recommendations from the 2025 Advisory Committee on Penal Code Review, established pursuant to Act 245, SLH 2024, to amend the Hawaii Penal Code. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Transportation to install pedestrian safety improvements at sites abutting school properties, with consideration for other sites. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO A MARITIME YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAY PROGRAM.

Directs the University of Hawaii Community College System, 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 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE LICENSE REVOCATION.

Clarifies administrative driver's license revocation procedures by specifying the effect of the notice of administrative revocation and conforming related administrative review and hearing provisions. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires that the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board submit three nominees for its Executive Director to the Board of Education. Requires the Board of Education to appoint an Executive Director from the nominees on the list, subject to advice and consent of the Senate.

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY CARE HOMES.

Lowers the minimum age required by Department of Health rules for substitute caregivers in community care foster family homes to eighteen years.

Daisy HartsfieldDemocrat

RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY.

Appropriates funds to the judiciary for services contracted with community-based organizations that deliver essential services, streamline judicial processes, and support the judiciary's capacity to effectively meet the needs of vulnerable households.

Daisy HartsfieldDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY CARE FOSTER FAMILY HOMES.

Changes the allowed absence by a primary caregiver at a community care foster family home to 48 hours in calendar week with no absence longer than 24 consecutive hours.

Daisy HartsfieldDemocrat

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

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the nineteenth representative district.

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW.

Repeals outdated mail and triplicate form requirements. Clarifies how a physician transmits a treatment plan to an employer. Clarifies the timeframe for when an employer must submit an objection to a vocational rehabilitation plan and when a vocational rehabilitation plan is deemed received by an employer. Requires electronic submission of various reports to the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW.

Repeals the requirement that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations regulate hoisting machines and certify their operators and the Hoisting Machine Operators Advisory Board, including its rules requiring a separate state crane operator certificate. Allows additional time for the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to complete an investigation of a discharge or discrimination complaint pertaining to employees exercising rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Law without formal extension. (SD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPT POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Exempts certain positions within the State Historic Preservation Division and Commission on Water Resource Management within the Department of Land and Natural Resources from the state civil service law. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt, amend, or repeal administrative fee schedules for use of certain lands pursuant to a specified procedure and to exempt parking lot and concessions operations on such lands from the bidding requirements for concessions operated on public property.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSERVATION BANKS.

Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to approve the operation of conservation banks and amends the Endangered Species Recovery Committee's membership and scope of authority. Effective upon approval.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE USE OF PUBLIC LANDS.

Defines public uses of public lands as uses by an agency either directly or through disposition, that support the agency's functions including but not limited to the uses described in section 171-10, HRS.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CONFORMITY TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE.

Conforms Hawaii income and estate and generation-skipping transfer tax laws to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended as of December 31, 2025. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOSTING PLATFORMS.

Requires hosting platforms that earn service fees for providing booking services for transient accommodations to register with the Department of Taxation as tax collection agents and report, collect, and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes on behalf of operators.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Short form bill relating to taxation.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMERCIAL PORT ADMINISTRATION.

Renames the Harbors Division of the Department of Transportation to the Commercial Ports Division and distinguishes between the terms "harbor" and "commercial port" throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Authorizes the Department of Transportation to designate airport special districts within airports statewide. Increases penalties for certain aeronautics law violations by reclassifying them from civil violations to petty misdemeanors. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

Authorizes the Department of Transportation to assume responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for highway projects, as well as railroad, public transportation, or multimodal projects within the State, allowing streamlined environmental reviews. Provides a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to comply with federal requirements. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes that certain participants in state-funded internship and workforce development programs are eligible for internal recruitment. Authorizes any state department, division, or agency to make certain determinations regarding an applicant's minimum qualifications in conducting a minimum qualification review. Repeals the requirement that a state department, division, or agency shall submit to the Department of Human Resources Development the applications for individuals who have met the minimum qualifications for a vacant position. Repeals the requirement that DHRD shall complete certain necessary tasks to facilitate the hiring of applications. Authorizes the director or head of a state department, division, or agency to directly hire an individual who meets the minimum qualifications for a civil service position. (SD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO FEDERAL MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.

Authorizes the Department of Transportation to enter into agreements with the United States Department of Defense for the provision of services at federal military installations, under certain conditions. Authorizes charging an administrative fee. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Removes county-specific expenditure restrictions for funds in the Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program Special Fund. Requires unencumbered and unexpended revenues from the Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program Special Fund in excess of a certain amount as of June 30 of each year to lapse to the general fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROMISE PROGRAM.

Addresses the change in federal law regarding Pell Grants by amending the Hawaii Community College Promise Program (Hawaii Promise) to provide scholarships for ninety-five percent of a student's unmet direct cost need and exclude grants, scholarships, and other funding sources from the calculation of Hawaii Promise awards, thereby allowing students to apply such funds toward indirect costs, including housing, food, and other living expenses, to reduce financial barriers and support student success. Changes Hawaii Promise from being a last-dollar award. Authorizes Hawaii Promise to coordinate with federal student aid programs to maximize total financial assistance available to students. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII REVENUE BONDS.

Authorizes the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii to issue revenue bonds for the purpose of financing qualifying priority capital improvement projects. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

Makes an emergency appropriation for fiscal year 2025–2026 to the University of Hawaii to expand and sustain the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Maui Health Registry. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat