Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program and grant program, to assist certain farmers and livestock producers with transportation costs for agricultural products, inputs, supplies, and production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA.

Imposes labeling requirements for māmaki tea grown in the State.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE STATE AUDITOR.

Requires the State Auditor to conduct management and financial audits of Medicaid health care insurance contractors at least once every two years, with the first audit report to be submitted no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2027. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION EDUCATION.

Requires the Department of Education to implement a plan for a Hawaiian language immersion school in Kapolei that shall be ready to educate students in grades kindergarten through 12 by the 2028-2029 school year. Appropriates moneys.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION.

Establishes an investigator position in the Campaign Spending Commission. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Requires the Hawaii Health Authority to develop a comprehensive plan for the establishment of a universal, single payer health care system to replace all other health care coverage in the State, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Prepaid Health Care Act. Establishes a universal, single payer health care system to be known as the Malama Care program under the Hawaii Health Authority to take effect one hundred eighty days after the approval of waivers from certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the State's Medicaid plan. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Establishes within the Office of the State Fire Marshal the Office of the State Search and Rescue Coordinator. Provides for the authority and duties of the State Search and Rescue Coordinator. Establishes the search and rescue special fund. Appropriates moneys.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO CARBON SEQUESTRATION INCENTIVES.

Codifies and makes permanent the Hawaii Carbon Smart Land Management Assistance Program under the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Adds state contractor's performance assessment to information required to be included in the past performance database maintained by the State Procurement Office. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE COMPUTER LANGUAGE.

Adopts, establishes, and designates Python as the official computer language of the State.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

Appropriates moneys for one temporary full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) archaeologist position within the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish rules allowing the sale and distribution of fine mesh nets in the State to protect plants from invasive species. Requires DOA to establish a program to provide certain monofilament netting free of charge to the public to slow the growth and spread of coconut rhinoceros beetles in the State. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE REQUIREMENTS.

Requires all health insurers in the State, including Medicaid managed care programs, to cover dental and vision treatment.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

Imposes a fee on the total amount of independent expenditures made by a noncandidate committee during an election period. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENTS.

Establishes and appropriates moneys for the development of a structural integrity assessment program within the Department of Accounting and General Services to inspect certain multi-story structures. Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to develop a standardized assessment methodology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and Department of Land and Natural Resources, for use in program inspections. Requires the program to begin with assessments of structures in South Maui and West Maui. Requires annual reports to the Legislature.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO DEFAMATION.

Protects individuals who make claims of sexual misconduct from defamation lawsuits unless the claims were proven to be made with malice. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS.

Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to establish a five-year community land trust equity pilot program to provide community land trusts with a line of credit to fund the acquisition, rehabilitation, renovation, or construction of housing for low- to moderate-income households and report to the Legislature regarding the pilot program. Appropriates funds from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for the establishment of the pilot program. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO NICOTINE.

Requires the Department of Health to determine standards for safe levels of nicotine in products to ensure the prevention of addiction. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to restrict the sale of any products that contain levels of nicotine that exceed the standards determined by DOH. Authorizes DOH and DCCA to adopt rules.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII HURRICANE RELIEF FUND.

Requires the plan of operation for the Hawaii hurricane relief fund to include the filing and litigation of subrogation claims against responsible parties for claims paid by the fund for losses attributable to climate change. Requires insurance rates for the fund to account for proceeds paid to the fund from subrogation claims.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Prohibits a business from requiring cash-only payments on transactions of $25 or more. Authorizes businesses to include any actual convenience fees for credit card or debit card transactions.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PRIVACY.

Prohibits the sale of geolocation information and internet browser information without consent. Prohibits the sale of data collected through eavesdropping or through an application operating in the background of a device that uses the device's microphone. Establishes exemptions for lawful investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies, customer proprietary network information, and certain telecommunication carriers. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP FEES.

Establishes the Environmental Stewardship Fee Program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources, through which the DLNR shall, after 7/1/27, collect a fee from visitors for a license to visit a state park, forest, hiking trail, or other state natural area. Establishes the Environmental Stewardship Fee Special Fund. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.

Prohibits certain octopus aquaculture.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Prohibits the sale of tickets at higher price than the original price charged by the primary venue ticket provider for events held in the State. Repeals provisions relating to ticket brokers. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO NON-COMPETE CLAUSES.

Prohibits non-compete and non-solicit clauses in employment contracts for employees of restaurants and retail stores. Effective retroactive to 7/1/2015.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO DEEPFAKES.

Establishes the crime of unlawful creation or distribution of a sexually explicit deepfake.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO CONTROLLED-ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds for the development of a controlled-environment agriculture research and demonstration facility at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Magoon research and teaching site in Manoa, Oahu. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION.

Allows the counties to amend district boundaries involving land areas greater than fifteen acres without appearing before the Land Use Commission if the affected lands are included in the County General Plan or County Development Plan. Requests the LUC to update the digital state land use district maps and to encourage transit-oriented development that preserves the character of the State's rural areas.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Requires the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine to construct, establish, and operate a disease and environmental toxins testing laboratory to test samples submitted by the public for diseases; water, air, and soil quality; and complex testing. Requires a report to the Legislature. Authorizes the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Establishes the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund. Requires a portion of the Environmental Response, Energy, and Food Security Tax to be deposited into the special fund. Appropriates funds for the Department of Agriculture in an amount equal to three per cent of the State Budget.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Excludes from state income taxes the gross income, adjusted gross income, and taxable income derived from tips received by employees.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Expands the protections established under Act 2, SLH 2023, to include gender-affirming health care services. Clarifies jurisdiction under the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act for cases involving children who obtain gender-affirming health care services. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTION.

Establishes a streamlined procedure for determining parentage in cases of assisted reproduction.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII FARM TO FOOD BANK PROGRAM.

Establishes the Hawaii Farm to Food Bank Program and Hawaii Food Assistance Program Special Fund to alleviate food shortages in the State. Appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaii Food Assistance Program Special Fund.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO NOISE POLLUTION.

Establishes that a person's conduct that produces, or causes to be produced, noise exceeding a certain decibel level during nighttime hours in any area zoned as residential or mixed-use residential is an unreasonable noise that constitutes the offense of disorderly conduct. Appropriates funds.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES.

Makes it a deceptive practice to advertise, display, or offer a price for goods or services that does not include all mandatory fees or charges, with certain exceptions.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO HATE CRIMES.

Defines "reported hate crime". Requires reporting of all possible reported hate crimes to appropriate authorities, including consistent documentation and analysis of such incidents. Requires law enforcement officers to receive annual training to identify, investigate, and document hate crimes and possible hate crimes. Requires the Attorney General to establish or update guidelines, protocols, and training materials for the reporting and investigation of hate crimes and possible hate crimes. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO BICYCLES.

Requires bike owners to pay an annual registration fee each year.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE PROCEEDS.

Requires mortgage servicers to comply with certain requirements regarding the disbursement of insurance proceeds for residential real estate that has been destroyed or damaged. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE PROTECTIONS.

Requires insurers offering homeowners insurance policies to comply with certain minimum requirements in cases of losses of owner-occupied residences due to a catastrophic disaster. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO MEDICAID.

Directs the Department of Human Services to adopt rules to expand Medicaid eligibility to all children in the State from birth to age 5 without regard to household income. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE OF LAST RESORT.

Establishes the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Program, which shall be established in and administered by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to ensure that residents in high-risk areas can purchase affordable and comprehensive property insurance coverage for their residential properties. Authorizes the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to issue revenue bonds in amounts authorized by the Legislature, in which case the Premium Stabilization Fund shall be established by the Director. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Imposes an excise tax on certain hedge funds failing to dispose of excess single-family residences, escalating over a ten-year period. Imposes a tax on any newly acquired single-family residences by a hedge fund. Makes certain exemptions. Requires the Department of Taxation to establish a certification process to ensure buyers of homes sold by hedge funds are not major investors in residential real estate. Establishes the Housing Down Payment Trust Fund to be administered by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to provide grants to establish new or supplement existing programs that provide down payment assistance to families purchasing homes within the State. Allocates collected tax revenue and penalties paid by hedge funds to the Housing Down Payment Trust Fund. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Administratively attaches the State Highway Safety and Modernization Council to the Department of Transportation. Allows council members to appoint their designees. Updates membership of the Council.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Establishes requirements for insurers relating to claims for additional living expenses under homeowners insurance policies, including situations where losses are incurred during a state of emergency. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Exempts from the state general excise tax the sales and gross proceeds from sales of construction rebuilding materials for residential and commercial properties in federally declared disaster areas. Applies only to rebuilding materials purchased between 7/1/2025 and 12/31/2028. Requires a third party to issue the certification for projects qualifying for the exemption for disaster construction rebuilding materials. Sunsets on 12/31/2028. Effective 1/1/2026. (SD1)

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Beginning 1/1/2027, establishes a preference in the Hawaii Public Procurement Code that favors bids or offers from businesses that intend to use a higher proportion of allelectric construction vehicles in Department of Transportation construction projects.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on implementing a clean fuel standard for alternative fuels in the State. Requires, no later than 1/1/2028, the Department of Transportation to adopt rules governing a clean fuel standard for alternative fuels in the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Amends the Hawaii Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Act by adding the definition of common entity and expanding the definition of sale or selling. Allows a licensed dealer or distributor to protest before the board for damages against another dealer or distributor. Establishes a dispute resolution process for manufacturers and distributors to contest the accuracy of a dealer's reimbursement for parts and labor.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Prohibits a person from operating a moped or electric motorcycle in certain areas designated for bicycles. Renames the Electric Bicycle and Electric Moped Rebate Program to the Electric Mobility Device Rebate Program. Expands eligibility for the rebate program and amends the maximum rebate amounts. Reduces the deadline to submit an application to six months from the date of purchase. Requires applicants who are enrolled in a school, community college, or university to demonstrate a financial need to be eligible for an additional assistance rebate. Exempts certain class 3 electric bicycles from registration requirements. Establishes a cap for the Electric Mobility Device subaccount and requirements for transferring funds into the subaccount. Amends the age requirement for required helmet use from 16 to 18 years of age. Prohibits a person under the age of fifteen from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. Establishes rules for electric bicycle operation. Allows use of electric bicycles on public sidewalks, subject to certain conditions. Prohibits individuals under 18 years of age from operating an electric motorcycle or motor-driven cycle. Changes the term "motor scooter" to "motor-driven vehicle". Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Chris LeeDemocrat