Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Clarifies that public charter school teachers are eligible for incentives under the Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the Department of Education to include the instruction of braille and provision of braille instructional materials under certain circumstances; provide braille literacy support services; cooperate with the Department of Human Services when requested to submit information necessary to maintain a register of the blind in the State; provide comprehensive information about braille literacy services, assistive technology devices, and assistive technology services, including educational programming options; and participate in the development of section 504 plans and individualized education programs. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATIONAL WORKERS.

Includes the disruption or interference with the administration or functions of any school, school administration office, or school board in the offense of harassment. Elevates the penalty for harassment to a misdemeanor when the recipient is an educational worker.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education to support community schools. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUM ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION.

Amends the conditions and procedures of alternative dispute resolution methods for condominium-related disputes, including the use of facilitative mediation, evaluative mediation, or binding arbitration. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Specifies that no person is subject to liability for providing clinical preventive services in accordance with Department of Health recommendations. Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, health maintenance organizations, and plans established by the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust to provide coverage for clinical preventive services. Authorizes the Department of Health to make recommendations relating to clinical preventive services and issue standing orders for medications and immunizations. Clarifies that, for coverage for child health supervision services, the prevailing medical standards include recommendations by the Department of Health. Specifies that coverage for clinical preventive services shall not be denied on the basis of medical necessity or subject to prior authorization. Specifies that a registered pharmacist may order a vaccine in accordance with the recommendations from the Department of Health. Exempts this measure from an Auditor impact assessment report. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PSYCHOLOGY INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPACT.

Adopts the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to regulate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychologists when patients are located in compact states other than the state where the psychologist is licensed. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to implement and administer the compact.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO REMEDIES.

Prohibits actions based on a building code violation unless the violation was a material violation of the building code. Specifies that claimants must comply with the Contractor Repair Act and bars persons from joining a class action for failure to comply with the Contractor Repair Act. Repeals the requirement that inspections and testing be completed within nine months. Deletes duplicative language for when persons may accept a settlement offer. Limits the amount a claimant can recover if the claimant rejects a contractor's reasonable proposal for inspection or a reasonable offer to remedy. (HD1)

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO LIQUOR LICENSES.

Authorizes liquor sold through a Class 10 license to be consumed on or off premises, under certain conditions.

Chris ToddDemocrat

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Prohibits a procurement officer from disclosing a competing offeror's proposal or evaluation score, except the summary of scores, to a non-selected offeror until after any protest is resolved and the contract is executed.

Chris ToddDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII SPACE COMMISSION.

Establishes the Hawaii Space Commission within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to promote innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace. Appropriates moneys.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO SPACE OPERATIONS.

Establishes within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism the Hawaii Orbital Sustainability and Space Traffic Board and orbital tracking and traffic management system. Establishes registration and compliance standards for aerospace activities in state airspace. Authorizes the awarding of research, education, and workforce development grants. Requires compliance with the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act and historic preservation requirements, and Native Hawaiian cultural consultation. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO MARITIME DAY.

Designates May 22 of each year as Maritime Day.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO WATER CARRIER RATE REGULATION.

Establishes the Hawaii Water Carrier Rates Board to review, evaluate, and set rates, fees, and charges for water carriers under chapter 271G, HRS. Transfers water carrier rate setting functions, powers, duties, records, personnel and cases from the Public Utilities Commission to the Hawaii Water Carrier Rates Board. Establishes the Hawaii Water Carrier Rates Board special fund. Requires annual reports to legislature and a sunset review in the last year. Sunsets 6/30/2032.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the City and County of Honolulu to transfer to the State the City and County of Honolulu's authority to construct a Makakilo Drive extension. Appropriates moneys.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO THE MAKAKILO DRIVE EXTENSION PROJECT.

Transfers land from the City and County of Honolulu to the Department of Transportation to complete the Makakilo Drive Extension project. Establishes the Makakilo Drive Extension Task Force to coordinate the project. Authorizes use of the Hawaii green infrastructure special fund to support sustainable design elements of the project. Appropriates funds.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO THE BUDGET.

Requires the Governor to submit a recommended budget for deferred repair and maintenance and capital improvements on existing state-owned buildings and infrastructure.

Chris ToddDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Hawaii Department of Transportation to identify any roadways other than Makakilo Drive that may be used as emergency egress routes in Makakilo. Requires the Department to plan for, design, and construct an emergency egress route in Makakilo under certain circumstances. Appropriates moneys.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO BRIBERY.

Adds to the offense of bribery the offering or accepting of any pecuniary benefit because of any action previously taken by a public servant in the person's official capacity.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO TIME LIMITATIONS ON CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS.

Provides that for any offense based on misconduct by a public servant, the appliable period of limitations for a criminal prosecution shall not commence until discovery of the offense by law enforcement.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

Establishes within the Office of Veterans' Services a mental health coordinator position at Tripler Army Medical Center. Provides that the mental health coordinator is appointed by and reports directly to the Director of the Office of Veterans' Services. Appropriates moneys. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO PENALTIES.

Establishes enhanced terms of imprisonment for burglary and theft offenses, which shall apply when the value of the property exceeds certain dollar amounts. Increase penalties for habitual property crime offenders. Establishes the selling of stolen property as a theft offense.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO INJURIOUS MATERIALS.

Prohibits placing, dropping, or leaving destructive or injurious materials on highways, lanes, roads, streets, and alleys. Establishes penalties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Kanani SouzaRepublican

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII REGARDING THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC TRUST LANDS.

Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii prohibiting live-fire training exercises on public trust lands.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST WORKING GROUP.

Appropriates moneys to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to facilitate the hiring of necessary staff and the purchase of equipment and professional services on behalf of the public land trust working group.

Kanani SouzaRepublican

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Imposes conveyance tax on the transfer of a controlling interest of an entity with an interest in real property. Stipulates that the imposition of the conveyance tax on transfers of entity ownership shall not apply to any transfer of interest or acquisition between entities wholly owned by the same common ownership that results in no change in the beneficial ownership. Imposes the conveyance tax on certain transfers of real property at the lowest tax rate. Imposes liability on the transferee in the event that the transferor of the controlling interest does not pay the tax due. Effective 1/1/3028. (SD1)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

Beginning 7/1/2027, prohibits counties from imposing minimum parking mandates for certain developments and limits the minimum parking requirements that may be imposed for other developments. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT.

Clarifies that, for tax credits issued after 7/1/2026, a partner or member that is a partnership or limited liability company that has been allocated a low-income housing tax credit may either further allocate the credit or transfer, sell, or assign all or a portion of the credit to any taxpayer. Extends the sunset date of Act 129, SLH 2016, relating to the low-income housing tax credit, until 12/31/2032. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD2)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO CESSPOOLS.

Allows an existing cesspool that lawfully serves a single dwelling or dwelling unit in a priority level 3 area to continue serving that dwelling or dwelling unit and additional bedrooms constructed on the same parcel and within the existing dwelling or dwelling unit, subject to certain conditions. Authorizes the Department of Health to adopt rules and restrict additional bedrooms where evidence demonstrates that continued cesspool use impacts water quality or human health. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Establishes the Pro-Housing Score Program to evaluate each county's performance in expanding housing opportunities and reducing regulatory barriers. Requires the counties to publish their respective pro-housing scores online and HHFDC to publish certain related information and data on a public dashboard. Establishes criteria for deeming a county noncompliant. Establishes builder's remedies for certain housing projects in transit-oriented development areas. Specifies that if a county is deemed noncompliant, the planning director or an equivalent county officer responsible for land use approvals are responsible for approving or denying certain affordable housing development applications. Establishes procedures for certain transit-oriented development housing project appeals. Appropriates funds.

Luke A. EvslinDemocrat

RELATING TO THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT.

Amends the definition of "development," as it pertains to coastal zone management, to exclude any state- or county-funded infrastructure improvement project that is exempted from an environmental assessment or determined as a finding of no significant impact under chapter 343, HRS. Applies only to zones established in Lahaina in the aftermath of the 2023 Maui wildfires that have been designated for reentry by the State or County of Maui as of January 1, 2026, excluding lands owned by or under the control of the State or County of Maui. Effective 7/1/2050. Sunsets 6/30/2029. (SD2)

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Allows small condominium associations with a building or buildings of no more than two stories to waive the requirement for the reserve study to be reviewed by an independent reserve study preparer if a majority of unit owners at a meeting approve the waiver and certain other requirements are met, but prohibits associations from waiving this requirement for consecutive three-year periods. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TEACHER STANDARDS BOARD.

Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO FERAL CHICKENS.

Appropriates funds to each county to facilitate the collection of feral chickens that have already been caught.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO USE OF INTOXICANTS WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE.

Lowers the blood alcohol content threshold for driving while under the influence of alcohol from .08 to .05 or more grams of alcohol to reduce impaired driving and fatal crashes.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

For purposes of permissible uses in agricultural districts, establishes minimum requirements for income received from agricultural activity for a family occupying a farm dwelling. Provides that the definition of a "farm dwelling" includes agricultural activity that is considered a farming operation under section 165-2, HRS, and is conducted on more than 50 per cent of the entire lot.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO MARINE AFFAIRS.

Declares that the State is an ocean cluster. Establishes the Office of Marine Affairs under the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation for administrative purposes only. Establishes the Marine Affairs Coordinator position. Requires the Marine Affairs Coordinator to submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. Transfers the employees and functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs. Appropriates funds for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Marine Affairs Coordinator position.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE.

Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to develop an online reporting tool through which users may report their restricted use pesticide usage. Appropriates funds to convert temporary Environmental Health Specialist III positions into permanent positions.

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

Authorizes and provides funding for the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in coordination with relevant state agencies, to identify and, if legally permissible, resolve survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on non-agricultural park lands. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO AQUACULTURE.

Requires the establishment of a biological aquatic risk-based framework for assessment and approval of aquatic livestock importation and movement. Authorizes the Division of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to adopt rules implementing species risk categorization, tiered biocontainment standards, per-arrival disease testing, and interagency coordination procedures. Establishes an interagency working group. Requires development of species-specific risk matrices, interagency working group coordination with automatic permit approval timelines, and performance accountability. Establishes an implementation timeline. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Cory M. ChunDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Implements the Condominium Property Regime Task Force recommendations.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITIES.

Requires common interest community proxy forms to include certain language related to the selection options for proxies.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATIONS.

Expands the definition of condominium association to include associations organized under chapter 421J, HRS.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE COUNTY OF HAWAII.

Appropriates funds as a grant-in-aid to the County of Hawaii to provide grants for the contracting of a private water company for the facilitation and installation of fire hydrants.

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSING ACCOUNT PROGRAM.

For taxable years beginning 1/1/2027, increases the maximum annual deduction for contributions to, and maximum account levels for, individual housing accounts.

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO VISAS.

Establishes uniform statewide requirements for policies and processes for the issuance of U and T visa certifications for noncitizen victims of crime that are consistent with federal laws and regulations governing U and T visas. Requires each state and county certifying entity to adopt a policy and process for the issuance of U and T visa certifications, consistent with those statewide requirements. Appropriates funds for the Department of the Attorney General to provide training to certifying entities and certifying officials on all federal and state requirements for U and T visa certifications. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO IMMIGRATION.

Requires state and county law enforcement agencies to notify an individual in the custody of a state or county law enforcement agency of their rights before any interview with federal immigration authorities pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations can commence. Designates all records relating to federal immigration authorities access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as government records. Requires state and county law enforcement agencies that have provided federal immigration authorities access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD2)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to develop an alternative pathway for a visiting international educator permit aligned to the duration of the educator's J-1 visa program. Permits the Department of Education and charter schools to hire unlicensed individuals as teachers on an emergency basis for five, rather than three, years. Requires HTSB to extend the five-year period in the case of a declared state of emergency. Requires the Department of Education to provide support to assist emergency hires in meeting the requirements of licensure and require the training be mandatory for emergency hires in their fourth and fifth years. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)

Greggor IlaganDemocrat