Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Department of Transportation to inspect personal aircraft that enter the State and land at state airports for the purpose of preventing the unauthorized transportation of fireworks and article pyrotechnic into the State. Requires the Department to coordinate with an appropriate law enforcement agency or county fire department to dispose of prohibited fireworks and articles pyrotechnic.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS.

Extends the State's energy-efficiency portfolio standards from 2030 to 2045 and updates the standards. Authorizes the public utilities commission to adjust the 2045 and interim standards.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Requires the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health to amend its eligibility criteria for the home and community-based services Medicaid waiver to include individuals having an intellectual or a developmental disability and a comorbid mental illness. Appropriates funds.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO REAL PROPERTY.

Repeals the Land Court. Requires registered owners of an interest in property registered in land court to deregister their interest. Requires the land court to inform registered owners of the requirement to deregister. Appropriates moneys.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to address carbon emissions. Incrementally increases the tax rate over time. Establishes a refundable tax credit to mitigate the effect of a carbon emissions tax on lower-income taxpayers. Establishes and appropriates moneys into the carbon emissions tax and dividend special fund. Reenacts the agricultural development and food security special fund. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE.

Requires the State Building Code Council to develop and adopt a green building standards code.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO ABANDONED VEHICLES.

Authorizes each county director of finance to waive, for up to one year, certain abandoned vehicle tow, storage, and other charges, fees, and fines owed to the county.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Increases the general excise tax by 1%. Establishes the teacher salary special fund within the Department of Education. Requires that increased general excise tax revenues be deposited into the teacher salary special fund and the school facilities special fund.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.

Requires that all lease extensions for public lands be subject to public auction.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO HEMP.

Requires the Department of Health to construct, operate, and maintain a hemp manufacturing facility. Requires permitted hemp processors to provide certain updated information to the Department of Health no later than 60 days after a relevant event. Explicitly prohibits any person from selling to consumers any hemp biomass, regardless of whether the biomass consists of hemp leaves or hemp floral material, or both. Imposes requirements relating to the form of certain orally consumable manufactured hemp products. Imposes certain labeling requirements. Appropriates moneys.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO STREAM WATER QUALITY.

Implements a 4-phase plan for the Department of Health to address contamination of Ulehawa Stream. Requires the University of Hawaii to provide assistance. Appropriates moneys.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Amends the motion picture, digital media, and film production income tax credit by requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to publish on its website the names of the qualified productions and the amount of the tax credits certified per qualified production per filing year.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Requires the immediate towing of any parked motor vehicle that is not properly registered, does not display a valid safety inspection sticker, or is parked in violation of any state traffic law.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO DUST MONITORING.

Requires landfills to have dust monitoring stations.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO DISABLED VETERANS.

Exempts disabled veterans from the State's vehicle weight tax and repeals the exemption for disabled veterans from the State's annual vehicle registration fee.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires the Department of Education to include the teaching of financial literacy in kindergarten through grade twelve. Requires students in grades nine through twelve to complete a one-half credit in financial literacy before graduation. Requires the Board of Education to provide professional development to teachers who are teaching financial literacy courses.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to notify an individual of their rights when in state or local law enforcement agency custody before any interview with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations. Designates all records relating to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as public records under chapter 92F, HRS. Requires state and local law enforcement agencies that have provided the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year.

AQUINO (Introduced by request of another party)

RELATING TO RENTAL HOUSING PROJECT DISASTER RECOVERY PERMITS.

Authorizes departments to issue permits for the development of multi-family rental housing projects on state or county land that was used for a multi-family rental housing project before a state emergency.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Amends the membership of the Hawaii Community Development Authority to include the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission or the Chairperson's designee.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE.

Requires specialized training for all employees of the Office of the Ombudsman to develop relevant expertise to handle complaints about the child welfare system. Requires the Office of the Ombudsman to publish a quarterly report on its website that identifies the number and nature of complaints that it receives regarding the Child Welfare Services Branch of the Department of Human Services. Requires the Child Welfare Services Branch of the Department of Human Services to provide notification that complaints can also be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman. Appropriates funds.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to contract or form a partnership with private parties to assist with the maintenance and management of sunscreen dispensers at all state beaches, as well as publicize that the mineral-based sunscreen in these dispensers is more protective of the coral reefs of the State. Appropriates funds for the installation, maintenance, management, and operation of non-chemical sunscreen dispensers on all state beaches.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Prohibits physicians and surgeons from performing certain procedures on individuals born with variations in their physical sex characteristics who are under one year of age, unless the procedure is a surgery required to address an immediate risk of physical harm.

SAN BUENAVENTURA

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Requires the Executive Office on Early Learning to establish an Imagination Library of Hawaii Program to provide one free book each month to children from birth through five years of age who reside in the State. Appropriates funds.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT.

Authorizes each qualifying individual taxpayer to claim an additional credit if the taxpayer claims any dependent under the age of eighteen.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE ENERGY OFFICE.

Authorizes the Hawaii State Energy Office to adopt certain federal regulations as they existed on 1/1/2025, that it deems to be in the public interest.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO DECARBONIZATION.

Requires the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption Commission to study the feasibility of implementing a "buy clean" decarbonization policy and program in Hawaii. Requires administrative and substantive support from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Appropriates moneys.

Chris LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Makes a person or entity liable for all or a portion of search or rescue expenses when the person or entity knowingly enters state, county, or private property, knowingly enters a hiking trail that is closed to the public, or violates applicable laws, provided that the closure is posted by sign, barricade, or other device that gives reasonable notice of the closure. Requires counties to adopt ordinances and the State Fire Council to adopt rules as necessary to pursue reimbursements.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Provides a general excise tax exemption on gross proceeds received from the construction, sale, or installation of electrical vehicle charging infrastructure in certain circumstances. Repeals on 1/1/2031.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO THE WAIAKEA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.

Establishes the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District. Provides for the transfer of land and leases within the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Hawaii Community Development Authority.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to: (1) Adopt the National Incident Management System as the standard for all incident management and emergency response operations; (2) Complete an after-action review for all significant emergency incidents or exercises; (3) Develop and manage position task books; (4) require the use of standardized Incident Command System forms; (5) Maintain accreditation through the Emergency Management Accreditation Program; and (6) Define specific roles and responsibilities for all Incident Command System and emergency operations center positions. Expands training and education qualifications and responsibilities for the Administrator of Emergency Management and county-level administrators or directors of emergency management. Amends the contents of the state comprehensive emergency management plan.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Expands the types of water heater systems that may satisfy the relevant requirement for the issuance of a building permit for new single-family dwellings to include ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO MARINA RESTORATION.

Establishes a procedure for the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease fast lands and submerged lands that were destroyed by an event triggering a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM.

Allows children having a parent or guardian who is a public school teacher to have priority for enrollment in the Executive Office on Early Learning public prekindergarten program.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to contract its review of proposed state projects, projects on privately owned historic property, and projects affecting historic properties to third-party consultants if the Department is unable to complete its review within sixty days.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO HISTORIC PROPERTY.

Amends the definition of "historic property" under the State's historic preservation program to include only property that predates Statehood Day and, with respect to buildings and structures, is registered on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES.

Requires utilities to pay distributed energy resources program customers for bill credits generated by the customer that are not used by the customer within 1 year.

Troy N. HashimotoDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS.

Disallows the dividends-paid deduction for real estate investment trusts. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII AUTHORITY.

Clarifies that the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's duties include supporting aquaculture.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Clarifies the authority of condominium associations to impose fines for violations of the declaration, bylaws, house rules, or regulations adopted by the condominium association. Establishes a process for the unit owner or tenant of the unit owner to appeal the imposition of a fine. Clarifies the responsibilities of unit owners to pay common expense assessments. Clarifies the rights and process for unit owners to appeal assessments other than common expense assessments.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST SENIORS.

Removes the requirement that a perpetrator of certain crimes knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a person sixty years of age or older.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO POWERS OF ATTORNEY.

Establishes additional requirements to revoke or make changes relating to agents under powers of attorney of principals diagnosed with cognitive deficits. Requires submittals to the Adult Protective and Community Service Branch of the Department of Human Services. Requires the Branch to issue a notice of receipt to the principal and any person initiating the change. Establishes a mandatory waiting period before any proposed change takes effect. Establishes an expedited process for a court order granting an emergency change to a power of attorney.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office to conduct a study to identify the most cost-effective investments for clean energy alternatives to combustible fuels. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREARMS.

Amends the prohibition on certain assault weapons to include .50 caliber rifles and assault weapon attachments. Modernizes the prohibition on assault pistols to include pistols with one or more prohibited feature. Prohibits firearms other than pistols with a detachable magazine with over a twenty-round capacity. Prohibits persons from bringing or causing to be brought into the State a .50 caliber rifle or assault weapon attachment. Prohibits the sale or transfer of a .50 caliber rifle or assault weapon attachment in the State, unless the .50 caliber rifle or assault weapon attachment is sold or transferred to an authorized individual. Creates exceptions for the acquisition and possession of prohibited firearms for members of law enforcement and the military.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE TIP CREDIT.

Beginning 1/1/2026, increases the tip credit to be twenty per cent of the minimum wage and requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to annually calculate an adjusted tip credit amount.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes the rounding up for teachers' salaries special fund, to be administered by the Department of Education. Requires electric utilities and county boards of water supply to provide an option for customers to voluntarily round up their bill to the nearest dollar or provide a specific contribution amount. Deposits the proceeds into the rounding up for teachers' salaries special fund. Appropriates moneys.

Kurt FevellaRepublican