Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO LIGHT POLLUTION.

Beginning 7/1/2027, establishes outdoor light fixture requirements throughout the State. Provides certain exemptions for Department of Education facilities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

Allows striking workers to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Mike LeeDemocrat

RELATING TO ACCESS TO MOVEMENT DISORDER CARE.

Establishes a temporary Parkinson's Patient Air Transport Feasibility Committee to examine recommendations for improving access to movement disorder care for neighbor island residents, including the feasibility of a state-administered air transport assistance fund. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO 911 SERVICES.

Requires the 911 Board to establish a Statewide Emergency Safety Profile System Pilot Program and convene a working group. Requires report to the Legislature. Repeals on 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Dee MorikawaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Phases in requirements that all newly manufactured washing machines sold within the State by January 1, 2042, be equipped with a microfiber filtration system. Requires manufacturers of newly manufactured washing machines to provide certification to the Department of Health that the manufacturer is in compliance with microfiber filtration system requirements. Establishes penalties. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to transfer the public roads of the Villages of Kapolei to the City and County of Honolulu by 1/1/2026. Authorizes county police officers to enforce the statewide traffic code on all public streets, roadways, and highways within the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

For purposes of registering a condominium project in an agricultural district, (1) lowers the minimum threshold from projects with five units to projects with two units for which a signed statement from a county is required and (2) requires the project applicant to make a presentation on the project to the neighborhood board, if applicable. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from approving costs of infrastructure, operations and maintenance, fuel, or other costs relating to supplying and using liquefied natural gas unless certain conditions are met. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to consider the effect of fossil fuels on renewable energy, stranded investment risks and costs, and costs and risks of reliance on a single fuel supply or monopoly supplier when making determinations of the reasonableness of the costs pertaining to electric or gas utility system capital improvements and operations. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amy A. PerrusoDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Beginning 10/1/2026, prohibits digital financial asset transaction kiosks from allowing any two customers from conducting transactions with the same digital financial asset wallet address and requires operators to provide full refunds under certain circumstances.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH.

Establishes and appropriates funds for a one-year Digital Youth Mental Health Platform Pilot Project that will enable the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the Department of Health to develop and make publicly available a digital platform designed to help young people address and manage mental health challenges. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

Repeals existing law that preempted local ordinances or regulations that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices and nullified and voided any conflicting local laws and regulations. Allows counties to adopt ordinances that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices that do not conflict with and are more stringent than the state law that govern smoking.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR.

Short form bill relating to labor.

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Prohibits a student from using a telecommunication device on school grounds during the instructional day, with certain exceptions. Requires a confiscated telecommunication device to be released only to the student's parent or legal guardian, who has three months to retrieve the device before it is subject to forfeiture. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICER.

Specifies that the Chief Election office who passes the standard state probationary period may only be terminated for cause.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

Short form bill relating to collective bargaining.

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO STATE WORKERS.

Short form bill relating to state workers.

Jackson D. SayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.

Repeals the law prohibiting drug paraphernalia under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO CRIME.

Specifies that the penalty for sex trafficking shall be payment of a fine of no less than $200,000 but no more than $500,000, and a definite term of imprisonment of up to 20 years without the possibility of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole. Provides that consent to sexual conduct is not a defense. Defines "sexual conduct". Specifies that a minor who commits an offense under section 712-1207(1)(a), HRS, shall be guilty of a violation instead of a petty misdemeanor. Provides that a person who reports that the person is a victim of sex trafficking shall not be subject to criminal liability for an offense involving sex trafficking or prostitution. Increases the penalties for commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. Requires DHS to implement services and programs for survivors and training for law enforcement. Appropriates funds. Requires annual report.

David Alcos IIIRepublican

RELATING TO HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.

For taxable years beginning 1/1/2026, establishes a tiered nonrefundable tax credit for qualified taxpayer insurers that offer one or more federally qualified health savings account‑eligible high deductible health plans in the State, under certain conditions, and increasing the tax credit to incentivize more plans being written in rural medically underserved areas of the State. Requires qualified taxpayer insurers to match up to a certain amount of a policyholder's first-time contribution into a health savings account. Sunsets 12/31/2030.

Kirstin KahaloaDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.

Requires that an environmental assessment be conducted and an environmental impact statement be prepared for any proposed use within historic properties considered significant or recognized as a traditional cultural property.

Mahina PoepoeDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE PLANS FOR WORKERS.

Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, in consultation with the Insurance Commissioner, to establish and implement a five-year voluntary Nontraditional Workforce Portable Health Care Benefit Plan Pilot Program that offers high deductible health plans or catastrophic health plans to nontraditional workers who are ineligible for health benefits provided by the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund or prepaid health care plans under the Prepaid Health Care Act. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Kirstin KahaloaDemocrat

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.

Specifies a time limit for the validity of a finding of no significant impact of a final environmental assessment or acceptance of a final environmental impact statement for a proposed action. Requires an agency or applicant to commence a new environmental review process for the proposed action if the validity expires.

Mahina PoepoeDemocrat

RELATING TO COMPASSIONATE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS.

Allows terminally ill patients and qualifying patients over sixty-five years of age with chronic diseases to use medical cannabis within specified health care facilities under certain conditions. Requires enforcement by the Department of Health. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF ATTORNEYS BY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Provides an exemption for public charter schools and their respective governing boards from the statutory prohibition on retaining independent legal counsel.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO HOME HEALTH LICENSING.

Authorizes the Department of Health to accept accreditation from an accreditation organization or a certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as demonstration that a licensed home health agency is in compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State. Specifies conditions under which a home health agency may be exempt from a licensing inspection on a continuing basis. Requires information obtained in reports of survey and accreditation or certification letters to be public information.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Repeals certain prohibitions on the imposition of fees, conditions, or requirements on community retail pharmacies that are not imposed on mail order pharmacies.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO HOSPITAL LICENSING.

Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow hospitals to demonstrate compliance with all licensing inspections required by the State through accreditation or certification by any accreditation or certification organization recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Requires insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the cost of prosthetic devices, including activity-specific prostheses, and orthotic devices for policies, contracts, plans, and agreements issued or renewed on or after 1/1/2027. Establishes an unspecified minimum yearly benefit for prosthetic devices and orthotic devices.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS.

Establishes an income tax credit for automated external defibrillator devices that are installed and placed in service in certain places of public accommodation located in the State, subject to registration requirements. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a statewide automated external defibrillator registry to collect and maintain certain information. Requires the owner or operator of an automated external defibrillator located in a place of public accommodation to conduct certain maintenance. Requires reporting of certain automated external defibrillator data to the Department of Health. Requires the Department of Health to coordinate with certain entities. Requires the Department of Health to request funds from the 911 Fund for the establishment and maintenance of the automated external defibrillator registry. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Excludes from the offense of unlawful shipment of tobacco products the direct sale of large cigars and pipe tobacco to adult consumers for personal use. Effective 1/1/2027.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO THE MINIMUM WAGE.

Repeals the minimum wage and tip credit increases that are to occur on 1/1/2028.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO JURY DUTY.

Allows actively practicing advanced practice registered nurses to claim exemption from service as a juror.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING.

Short form bill relating to early learning.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT.

Requires any person applying to the Department of Health to contract or extend or renew a contract to operate certain residential treatment programs to, as a condition of the contract, obtain and maintain a general liability insurance policy with a certain minimum coverage amount; submit to the Department for review and approval a community safety action plan; and provide to the community association or neighborhood board in the community in which the program will operate a written notice of the program's establishment and location and the community safety action plan.

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Requires the Governor or mayor of a county, during a state of emergency, to provide an American Sign Language interpreter at each live broadcast press conference. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to provide a primary pool feed for any live official announcement that includes an American Sign Language interpreter in a picture-in-picture window, and does not require broadcasters that rebroadcast the official announcement to independently generate or insert this accessibility feature. Requires, to the fullest extent possible, that the American Sign Language interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are visible. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Sam Satoru KongDemocrat

RELATING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

Reduces the quorum requirement for boards and commissions to a majority of current voting members of a board or commission. Reduces the number of affirmative votes needed to validate action of a board or commission to a majority of members voting at a meeting with quorum.

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VI, SECTION 3, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO INCREASE THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE FOR STATE JUSTICES AND JUDGES.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory retirement age for justices and judges from seventy to seventy‑five years of age. (HD1)

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION.

Prohibits discrimination based on: (1) The perception that a person possesses certain characteristics; (2) The perception that a person is associated with a person who possesses, or is perceived to possess, certain characteristics; or (3) The intersection or combination of two or more specified characteristics in relation to a person.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO GAMBLING.

Prohibits any casino, gambling enterprise, or gambling facility from being located on state lands within or adjacent to the Aloha Stadium Development District project area or on any lands under the jurisdiction of the Stadium Authority. Prohibits athletic programs of the University of Hawaii from competing in venues that are operated by or physically integrated with a gambling enterprise while clarifying that standard naming-rights or advertising agreements do not constitute prohibited sponsorships.

Andrew Takuya GarrettDemocrat

RELATING TO PEDESTRIANS.

Establishes that fines for pedestrian violations under chapter 291C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall not exceed $25. Requires state and county agencies to revise applicable schedules of fines, rules, and procedures to comply with the monetary limit. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE.

Removes references to countdown timers as it relates to pedestrian-control signals, including the requirement that pedestrians must begin crossing a roadway before a countdown timer begins. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO DISCRIMINATION.

Lengthens the statute of limitations to file a complaint of discrimination with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to one year. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Clarifies that the five‑year statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of campaign finance violations begins upon discovery of the offense by the Campaign Spending Commission. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Short form bill relating to education.

Justin H. WoodsonDemocrat

RELATING TO SENTENCING REVIEW.

Establishes a procedure for incarcerated individuals who have served at least ten years of their sentence to petition the court for a sentence reduction. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to report to the Legislature Hawaii Paroling Authority, and Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Authorizes the issuance of reimbursable general obligation bonds in four tranches to provide the necessary funds for the Condominium Loan Program. Appropriates funds from the Hurricane Reserve Trust Fund to provide initial coverage of the bond payments. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO REDRESS FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION AND IMPRISONMENT.

Requires the State to provide written notice to certain persons regarding the ability to file a claim for redress under applicable wrongful conviction law. Requires the liberal construction of that law. Provides for advance compensation for petitioners under certain circumstances. Requires reports to Legislature from the Department of the Attorney General.

David A. TarnasDemocrat

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Beginning 1/1/2027, prohibits the sale of flavored nicotine products and nicotine product flavor enhancers and the mislabeling of e-liquids as nicotine free. Establishes penalties for violations. Authorizes the Department of Health to appoint, commission, or contract for services of inspectors. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO COMMERCE.

Short form bill relating to commerce.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION.

Short form bill relating to consumer protection.

Scot Z. MatayoshiDemocrat