Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Expands the allowable uses of Hawaii Technology Development Corporation grant funds to include providing grants to applicants for qualifying federal research and development awards and matching funds for recipients of those awards and related contracts.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Requires residential property insurers to disclose wildfire risk scores upon request and at renewal, nonrenewal, and application. Requires insurers using wildfire risk models, catastrophe models, or scoring methods to file model-use information with the Insurance Commissioner and incorporate property-level and community-level wildfire mitigation. Requires insurers to provide mitigation discounts if property-level and community-level wildfire mitigations are not incorporated into risk models. Establishes a standardized notice and an appeal process for wildfire risk scores and mitigation discounts. Authorizes insurers to provide benefits or premium reductions for wildfire risk-preventative measures and clarifies treatment for midterm premium increases and anti-rebate laws. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENTS.

Requires the Board of Education to update content and performance standards to reinstate the Presidential Fitness Test.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOLS.

Requires public schools with elementary students to allow faculty and staff to provide time and space each day for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and Hawaii Ponoi.

David Alcos IIIRepublican

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

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

Greggor IlaganDemocrat

RELATING TO SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE.

Requires hospitals with emergency departments that are licensed in Hawaii to submit syndromic surveillance data to the Department of Health. Authorizes the Department of Health, as needed, to establish by administrative rules a syndromic surveillance system under state jurisdiction that is independent of federal systems.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Short form bill relating to education.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.

Allows the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to assume historic preservation review of the effect of any proposed project for lands under its jurisdiction except for projects affecting properties listed or nominated for inclusion in the Hawaii register of historic places or the national register of historic places.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Short form bill relating to health care.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE OCEAN RECREATION SPECIAL FUND.

Authorizes the Ocean Stewardship Special Fund to be used for planning, development, designing, or implementation of beach restoration projects, including the awarding of grants to nonprofit organizations for beach and nearshore environmental cleanup.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.

Establishes the Hawaii Preventive Services Advisory Committee and authorizes the Department of Health to issue preventive service recommendations. Requires health insurance coverage without cost-sharing for Department of Health-recommended clinical preventive services. Provides immunity for healthcare providers' and facilities' provision of recommended clinical preventive services.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE EXEMPTION FROM CIVIL SERVICE OF EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL OF THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

Allows the Board of Trustees of the Employees' Retirement System, through its Executive Director, to appoint specified executive personnel positions of the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii and exempts these positions from the State's civil service requirements.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM'S EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR NORMAL COST AND ACCRUED LIABILITY.

Increases employer contributions for normal cost and accrued liability for a specified group of employees to ensure the unfunded accrued liability of the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii does not exceed the maximum funding period.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO A PROGRAM TO CHARACTERIZE THE POTENTIAL OF UNDERGROUND ENERGY RESOURCES STATEWIDE.

Establishes the Underground Energy Resource Characterization Program to identify the location and characteristics of underground energy resources through the use of slim-hole bores and requires a related environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Requires a report to the legislature. Appropriates funds.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Makes the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program permanent, with modifications. Repeals the sunset date for Act 92, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE RENTAL HOUSING REVOLVING FUND.

Clarifies the Rental Housing Revolving Fund statute by defining "mixed-income rental projects" to establish consistent eligibility and use of appropriations for mixed-income rental housing projects. Clarifies that mixed-income rental projects are primarily for households at or below one-hundred-forty per cent of the area median income, allowing participation by higher-income households. Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to transfer funds between the Rental Housing Revolving Fund into the mixed-income subaccount to support eligible mixed-income projects, without legislative approval. Repeals the sunset date in Act 159, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, thereby making these provisions permanent. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO PERSONNEL.

Updates state position titles by changing "private secretary" to "executive assistant" and "secretary" to "administrative assistant," where applicable.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Short form bill.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO EXPUNGEMENT ORDERS.

Amends section 831-3.2, HRS, to reflect that a person who is arrested for or charged with a crime but convicted of a violation is eligible for an expungement of their arrest record for that incident.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Makes the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program permanent, with modifications. Repeals the sunset date for Act 92, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII FILM AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL FUND.

Expands the funding sources of the Hawaii Film and Creative Industries Development Special Fund to include reveneues received by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism from managing the Hawaii Film Studio.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE RENTAL HOUSING REVOLVING FUND.

Clarifies the Rental Housing Revolving Fund statute by defining "mixed-income rental projects" to establish consistent eligibility and use of appropriations for mixed-income rental housing projects. Clarifies that mixed-income rental projects are primarily for households at or below one-hundred-forty per cent of the area median income, allowing participation by higher-income households. Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to transfer funds between the Rental Housing Revolving Fund into the mixed-income subaccount to support eligible mixed-income projects, without legislative approval. Repeals the sunset date in Act 159, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, thereby making these provisions permanent. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS.

Establishes patient rights with respect to timely access to specialists and referrals and prior authorization determination timelines. Establishes certain requirements for health carriers for prior authorization determinations. Establishes certain requirements for the use of automated decision support tools for claims determinations and utilization review. Requires health carriers to establish certain safeguards for protected health information. Establishes certain reporting requirements for network adequacy. Establishes certain provider protections. Expands the Insurance Commissioner's enforcement authority.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE.

Prohibits health care facilities, health care providers, and emergency medical services from furnishing medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency. Prohibits consumer credit reporting agencies from reporting or maintaining medical debt information in the file on a consumer.

Chris LeeDemocrat

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.

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

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.

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPARENCY.

Requires food, beverage, and service establishments that accept tips and employ tipped employees to post signs that include certain language explaining their tip allocation practices and the contact information for the Wage Standards Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Wage and Hours Division of the United States Department of Labor. Allows DLIR to adopt rules to establish fines.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOL MEALS.

Expands free school meal coverage, beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, to all Department of Education students regardless of whether the student participates in a federal school meals program.

III RichardsDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSERVATION BANKING.

Authorizes the use of conservation banks for compensatory mitigation in a habitat conservation plan and associated incidental take license. Amends the membership and scope of authority for the Endangered Species Recovery Committee.

Chris LeeDemocrat

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.

Rachele LamosaoDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND USE.

Requires any petitioner for a district boundary amendment to obtain certification from the Commission on Water Resources Management that enough water is available for the project needs without causing harm to the relevant aquifers and provide that certification to the Land Use Commission.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for a certain percentage of expenses paid to retrofit a residence with wind resistive devices or to purchase, install, or construct, a hurricane shelter on the taxpayer's property. Reduces the general excise tax rate on the gross proceeds or income from the sale of a concrete certified hurricane-resistant residential project or certain hurricane-resistant components of a high-rise condominium. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2026. Sunsets 12/31/2030.

Kim Coco IwamotoDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Exempts certain positions in the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health and Hawaii State Hospital from civil service. Authorizes the Director of Health to appoint two additional associate administrators and two project managers for the Hawaii State Hospital or a secure psychiatric rehabilitation facility.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

Authorizes the Governor and Legislature to enter into nonbinding international cooperative agreements with foreign national governments, foreign subnational jurisdictions, and regional intergovernmental partners. Authorizes the Hawaii Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission to review proposals for sister-state or province partnerships and international cooperative agreements.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICS.

Establishes the Community Behavioral Health Clinic Certifying Office to certify community behavioral health clinics and provide technical assistance for clinics seeking certification. Establishes the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Oversight Board. Establishes the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Special Fund. Amends the composition of the Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances and State Council on Mental Health to include a member from the Community Behavioral Health Clinic Certifying Office. Appropriates funds.

Joy A. San BuenaventuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to establish the Small Business Innovation Research Matching Program. Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, in collaboration with the Department of Education, to establish a STEM education outreach program. Requires and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to develop an economic diversification strategic plan. Appropriates funds for economic diversification and defense ecosystem development.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 12 AND 13, OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO EXPRESSLY PROVIDE THAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY AUTHORIZE THE COUNTIES TO ISSUE TAX INCREMENT BONDS AND TO EXCLUDE TAX INCREMENT BONDS FROM DETERMINATIONS OF THE FUNDED DEBT OF THE COUNTIES.

Proposes amendments to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to expressly provide that the Legislature may authorize, by general law, political subdivisions, such as counties, to issue tax increment bonds and to exclude tax increment bonds in calculating the debt limit of the political subdivisions.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the research activity tax credit so that references to the base amount in section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code shall not apply and credit for all qualified research expenses may be taken without regard to the amount of expenses for previous years. Increases the annual aggregate cap for the research activity tax credit.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

Establishes the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research Matching Program within the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to provide matching grants to Hawaii-based companies that have received federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer awards. Establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Outreach Program within HTDC to be administered in collaboration with the Department of Education to require participants in the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research Matching Program to deliver presentations to public school students in the State. Requires HTDC to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Authorizes a county with a pre-existing surcharge to continue the surcharge after December 31, 2030, at the same rate of 0.5 per cent; provided that after December 31, 2030, the split or disbursement of this surcharge between the State and the counties shall be 0.25 per cent each with the State's share being reserved and allocated to the Med-QUEST division of the Department of Human Services. Expands the authorized use of surcharge revenues to more than capital costs of a locally preferred alternative for a mass transit project for counties with a population greater than five hundred thousand.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS.

Clarifies that a county employee's code compliance review of plans for construction applicable to the specific engineering field is considered lawful experience in engineering work for purposes of professional engineering licensure.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR.

Clarifies the employment status of certain delivery drivers under state laws related to workers' compensation, wage and hour, temporary disability insurance, family leave, tax classification of business relationships, and unemployment insurance by establishing conditions under which delivery drivers are deemed employees of the business operating the delivery program.

Brandon J.C. ElefanteDemocrat

RELATING TO LAND TRANSFER.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to transfer certain lands to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

III RichardsDemocrat

RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM.

Establishes statewide, uniform standards to promote agricultural tourism activities in the State for all counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance. Requires agricultural tourism activities to be registered by the county planning department. Requires agricultural tourism activities to coexist with an agricultural activity on a farming operation and requires termination of the agricultural tourism activities upon cessation of the agricultural activity, except under certain circumstances. Makes conforming amendments.

III RichardsDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OF THE FOURTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the 4th senatorial district.

III RichardsDemocrat

RELATING TO CORPORATE BONDS.

Authorizes the Director of Finance to invest certain state moneys in short-term investment grade corporate bonds.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

RELATING TO THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW.

Repeals the requirement that health care providers' forms be filed with the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) in triplicate. Clarifies the way a physician transmits a treatment plan to an employer. Repeals a reference to the employer's receipt of a vocational rehabilitation plan by mail. Repeals the option of employers to submit reports to the DLIR via United States mail. Repeals the option of health care providers to provide reports to the DLIR or employer via mail.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST.

Temporarily increases the total amount of public land trust revenues transferred to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, while reaffirming the State's obligation to the twenty per cent pro rata share pursuant to the Hawaii State Constitution. Repeals 6/30/2028.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Clarifies that any provisions in an association's bylaws relating to cumulative voting shall apply to the removal and replacement of a board member at any regular or special meeting.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

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.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat