Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Establishes new requirements for identifying certain top contributors for election campaign purposes. Prohibits structuring, assisting in structuring, or attempting to structure or assist in structuring any solicitation, contribution, expenditure, disbursement, or other transactions. Establishes additional penalties regarding campaign finance violations. Adds and amends various definitions for purposes of campaign finances. Amends reporting requirements for schedules filed for noncandidate committee reports. Repeals certain required information for noncandidate committees making only independent expenditures for late contribution reports. Expands information required for a noncandidate committee that makes independent expenditures of more than $500. Increases the aggregate amount that triggers when a person is required to file a statement of information. Repeals an authorization for a nonprofit organization operating as a noncandidate committee to use a donation for certain expenditures. Requires certain noncandidate committees to maintain transfer records. Requires certain information to be reported to a noncandidate committee. Repeals the requirement to identify certain top contributors.

Della Au BelattiDemocrat

RELATING TO BROADBAND SERVICE.

Requires a provider of broadband internet access services to be transparent with network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband internet access services. Prohibits a provider of broadband internet access services from blocking lawful websites, impairing or degrading lawful internet traffic, engaging in paid prioritization or application-specific differential pricing, or interfering with or disadvantaging users of broadband internet access services. Requires an applicant of a broadband-related permit seeking a state-granted or county-granted right to attach small cell or other broadband wireless communication devices to utility poles to comply with certain practices.

Tina Nakada GrandinettiDemocrat

RELATING TO THE INSURANCE AFFORDABILITY ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM.

Establishes the Insurance Affordability Assistance Pilot Program within the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to assist eligible homeowners with sudden increases in property insurance premiums. Sunsets 6/30/2028.

Trish La ChicaDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Requires certain landlords to provide a specified notice to a tenant regarding the tenant's potential right to purchase the property, under certain conditions. Allows tenants, families, local governments, affordable housing nonprofits, and community land trusts forty-five days to match or beat the best bona fide offer to buy an eligible affordable housing property. Establishes conveyance tax rates for the sale of eligible affordable housing properties.

Tina Nakada GrandinettiDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Imposes an additional fee for a certificate of registration for motor vehicles, to be deposited into the Safe Routes to School Program Special Fund. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Tina Nakada GrandinettiDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING RESILIENCY.

Establishes the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to administer grants to retrofit residential properties to enhance resilience against disaster impacts and reduce potential insurance liabilities. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO SOCIAL GAMING.

Authorizes a 10-year renewable license for a social gaming facility in a special district designated for tourism. Allows admission and participation for adults. Non-residents shall be required to apply for guest membership. Establishes the Hawaii social gaming control commission to monitor and measure operational activities as well as collect and distribute tax revenue from social game operations. Imposes a consumption tax on every hand and every contest. Uses revenue for housing developments for currently houseless Native Hawaiian residents.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR.

Requires a manufacturer of model year 2022 or later motor vehicles that utilize telematics systems to equip the vehicles with an inter-operable, standardized, and open-access platform across all of the manufacturer's makes and models. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to establish a motor vehicle telematics system notice. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO CRIMINAL STREET GANGS.

Establishes the offense of criminal street gang participation, solicitation, recruitment, or retention. Provides for enhanced penalties for crimes committed by a defendant while part of a criminal street gang.

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE.

Establishes a basic housing allowance for legislators whose legal residence is on an island other than the island of Oahu during session. Appropriates funds.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.

Authorizes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to apply to the counties for tax increment financing. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires that each Department of Education public school student earn 2 credits in Hawaiian language as a graduation requirement. Establishes a 2-year pilot program for Hawaiian language instruction at a central Oahu elementary school and Nanakuli High and Intermediate School. Appropriates funds.

Darius K. KilaDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a tax credit for individual and corporate taxpayers who install and place in service certain projects that support environmental sustainability.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Establishes the Affordable Housing Land Inventory Task Force within the Hawaii Community Development Authority to update the Affordable Rental Housing Report and Ten-Year Plan maps, tier tables, and inventories of state lands suitable and available for affordable housing development. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO THE CENTER FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT.

Appropriates funds for the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology within the University of Hawaii to establish and operate a Center for Climate Resilient Development.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.

Prohibits boards from beginning or continuing meetings after 9:00 p.m., excluding county council meetings.

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO PLANT CARE COMPONENTS.

Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules related to the Plant Care Component Program. Prohibits distributing plant care components that originated outside the State unless it was subjected to treatment before arrival. Establishes administrative penalties to enforce the Plant Care Component Program. Appropriates funds and establishes positions for purposes of the Plant Care Component Program. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the department of education to equip all classroom doors with interior locks, maintain a public address system, feature an emergency access route, and maintain fire alarms. Mandates the establishment of school emergency plans. Requires schools conduct regular testing and emergency preparedness drills. Appropriates funds.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

Requires the Office of the Auditor to perform a comprehensive forensic audit of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Department of Accounting and General Services related to the planning, design, financing, construction, and maintenance of a new jail to replace the Oahu Community Correctional Center. Requires a report. Appropriates funds.

Kim Coco IwamotoDemocrat

RELATING TO OFFICE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

Establishes the Office of Entrepreneurship. Authorizes the use of the Hawaii Film and Creative Industries Development Special Fund to fund a program in partnership with the Office that creates opportunities in film, media, electronic sports, and creative industries for new businesses. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes a high school law enforcement curriculum-to-career pipeline initiative. Appropriates funds to develop and implement the program.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Requires motor vehicle safety inspections to be conducted every two years rather than annually.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO STATUTORY REVISION: AMENDING OR REPEALING VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE HAWAII REVISED STATUTES OR THE SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII FOR THE PURPOSES OF CORRECTING ERRORS AND REFERENCES, CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, OR DELETING OBSOLETE OR UNNECESSARY PROVISIONS.

Amends or repeals various provisions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes or the Session Laws of Hawaii for the purposes of correcting errors and references, clarifying language, or deleting obsolete or unnecessary provisions.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO VEHICLE MILEAGE.

Requires employers to reimburse employees for vehicle mileage expenses incurred when using their personal vehicle to carry out employee duties or at the direction of the employer.

Adrian K. TamDemocrat

RELATING TO THEFT.

Creates the offense of organized retail theft. Provides penalties for organized retail theft. Creates an organized retail theft task force.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO GENERAL EXCISE TAX EXEMPTIONS.

Establishes a general excise tax exemption on the gross proceeds or gross income received from sales of commodities or services that benefit nonprofit schools. Effective 1/1/3000. (HD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO GAMING.

Establishes the Hawaii Lottery and Gaming Corporation for the purpose of conducting and regulating wagering and gaming in the State. Establishes the Lottery and Gaming Special Fund and allocates certain percentages of the fund to various community betterment purposes.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO THE ALOHA SPIRIT, CIVICS, AND DEMOCRACY.

Establishes the Hawaii Civics Collaborative within the Department of Accounting and General Services to promote civics engagement and perpetuate the Aloha Spirit. Requires the Department of Education, University of Hawaii Matsunaga Institute for Peace, Public Access Room, and other community organizations to facilitate civic engagement education statewide. Establishes two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) civic education specialist positions within the Department of Education. Appropriates funds.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO EVICTION MEDIATION.

Beginning 2/5/2026, extends the period for a notice of termination of a rental agreement; requires landlords to engage in mediation and delay filing an action for summary possession if a tenant schedules mediation; and requires landlords to provide specific information in the 10‑calendar-day notice to tenants. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. Repeals 2/4/2027. (HD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO ORAL HEALTH.

Establishes an Oral Health Task Force to review the status of oral health in the State and make recommendations to improve the State's oral health infrastructure. Establishes temporary full-time equivalent program specialist V positions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Adds loan funds administered by Nonprofit Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) for certain for-sale affordable housing projects to list of loan priorities for the Affordable Homeownership Revolving Fund. Expands use of funds in the revolving fund to allow financing as matching funds for CDFIs to mobilize other funding sources. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES.

Allows foreign medical school graduates applying for a license to practice medicine and surgery to substitute one year of required medical training or experience in a hospital with one year of fellowship training where the parent program or hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Appropriates funds for the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to allocate to housing counseling agencies certified by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing counseling services. Requires a report to the Legislature regarding services provided by the housing counseling agencies. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a definition for "premium cigar" that is distinct from a "large cigar" and adds a definition for "characterizing flavor" in the Cigarette Tax and Tobacco Tax Law. Excludes premium cigars from percentage excise tax. Establishes an excise tax at a rate of 50 cents per premium cigar.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FIFTEENTH, SIXTEENTH, AND SEVENTEENTH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth representative districts.

Nadine K. NakamuraDemocrat

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Requires, for tenancies greater than 90 days, a landlord to notify a tenant of any intent to raise the rent for any subsequent rental agreement or any intent to terminate a rental agreement 60 days before the expiration of the original rental agreement. Requires 90 day's notice for a landlord or tenant to terminate tenancies of three years or more and 60 days' notice to terminate tenancies of less than three years, with certain exceptions. Increases the amount of notice required to terminate tenancies that are less than month-to-month.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO EVICTION RECORDS.

Requires that all court records of any eviction proceeding be sealed within specified timeframes upon resolution of the proceeding. Authorizes the court to seal certain eviction records prior to the expiration of these timeframes upon motion by a tenant who is able to demonstrate that certain conditions apply. Requires the clerk of the court to provide access to sealed eviction records to the tenant. Makes it a discriminatory practice to require a person to disclose a sealed eviction record as a condition of certain real property transactions. Prohibits discrimination in real property transactions against a person with a sealed eviction record.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO RED HILL.

Establishes a Water Alliance Initiative Policy Coordinator for coordination of Red Hill WAI initiatives. Creates the Red Hill Remediation Special Fund. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS.

Authorizes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to utilize funds in the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund as collateral when DHHL is an eligible borrower of a loan guaranteed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to the Housing and Community Development Act, as amended, subject to approval of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Appropriates funds. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS.

Establishes a permitted interaction group within the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Appropriates funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to continue geophysical data collection, investigation, exploration, and identification of geothermal resources on Hawaiian home lands. Authorizes DHHL to hire consultants. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO CHIROPRACTIC.

Beginning 7/1/2027, allows chiropractic students enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college to engage in clinical practice as part of their college instruction if directly supervised by a qualified licensed chiropractor. Requires the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic to adopt rules. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO DECLARATION OF WATER SHORTAGE AND EMERGENCY.

Amends the conditions, manner, and areas in which the Commission on Water Resource Management can declare and provide notice of water shortages and emergencies.

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Establishes processes and requirements for associations to impose fines against unit owners, tenants, and guests for violations of the declaration, bylaws, or house rules. Prohibits associations from charging attorneys' fees with respect to any fines that are not deemed collectable. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Establishes the eighth day of August of each year as "Hawaii Disaster Drill Day". Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with all state departments and agencies, to conduct drills and perform other activities for that day. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Allows an insured to authorize the insurer to electronically remit claim proceeds to the insured's mortgagee when a homeowners insurance policy that covers a mortgaged property allows for the payment of proceeds by issuing a check. Requires a mortgagee in receipt of electronic delivery of claim proceeds to deliver the proceeds of the claim to the insured in accordance with the mortgage agreement and the insurance policy. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat

RELATING TO ANTITRUST.

Prohibits the use of algorithmic price-setting in Hawaii's rental market. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop and undertake a public education program regarding the prohibition. Establishes fines and penalties. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxpayers that incur costs related to the design, materials, installation, and construction of hurricane-resistant safe rooms. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Jarrett KeohokaloleDemocrat