Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING EVICTIONS.

Reduces the time required to store unclaimed personal effects of an evicted tenant.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO HAWAII RETIREMENT SAVINGS ACT.

Clarifies the definition of "covered employer" under the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act. Requires covered employers to automatically enroll covered employees into the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program unless the covered employee chooses to opt out. Effective upon approval.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO MANUFACTURED HEMP PRODUCTS.

Clarifies that the definition of "manufactured hemp products" in section 328G-1, HRS, includes hemp products specified in rules adopted by the Department of Health pursuant to section 328G-4, HRS.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT.

Allows a retirant to be employed without reenrollment in the Employees' Retirement System and without loss or interruption of retirement benefits if the retirant is employed as an investigator in a position identified by the Department of the Attorney General or the Department of Law Enforcement as a labor shortage or difficult—to-fill position, subject to certain conditions. Requires the director of human resources of the appropriate state jurisdiction or the human resources management chief executive of each county to include in their annual reports to the Legislature, details on the employment of retirants as investigators.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAX ADMINISTRATION.

Permanently exempts the software developer supervisor in the Department of Taxation and the data privacy officer and tax business analysts in the Director's office of the Department from civil service.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO FUNDING ADJUSTMENTS FOR STATE PROGRAMS.

Authorizes supplemental allotments and transfer of unrequired balances for capital improvement program projects and establishes a protocol fund for each state principal department. Effective upon approval.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY.

Amends sections 286-102 and 286-181, HRS, to allow exemptions to include use of motorcoaches, small buses, and vans, which may not meet school bus regulations for school bus services, but which shall otherwise meet vehicle requirements and qualifications set forth in chapter 19-143, Hawaii Administrative Rules, to the extent required by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Education, when adult staff chaperone escorts of students are provided while students are being transported between designated locations off-campus and designated locations on-campus.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Establishes a tax credit for landlords who charge below-market rent and assesses an additional privilege tax on landowners who charge above-market rent, under certain conditions. Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to determine median market rent for rental units by geographic area for the purposes of the below-market rent tax credit and above-market rent tax.

Ikaika HusseyDemocrat

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.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

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 one full-time equivalent program specialist V position. Appropriates funds.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO TEACHER EDUCATION.

Requires the Board of Regents to grant a waiver on all tuition and mandatory fees to a resident student enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for the semester or term that the student enrolls in a State-Approved Teacher Education Program.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS.

Prohibits any person from charging any fees on a transient accommodation unit, room, or service that were not disclosed before the time of booking. Requires any person offering, listing, advertising, soliciting, or displaying a rate or price for the use or occupancy of a transient accommodation unit, room, or service to disclose at the time of booking in a clear and conspicuous manner, the total dollar amount that will be charged, including all resort fees and taxes and fees imposed by government entities. Establishes penalties. Effective 1/1/2026.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.

Prohibits the feeding of feral non-native animals on state land within one-half mile of the ocean or a stream. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to enforce certain penalties for violations. Requires the counties to adopt or amend ordinances to prohibit the feeding of feral non-native animals on county land within one-half mile of the ocean or a stream and impose certain penalties for violations. Establishes an annual reporting requirement to the Legislature.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS.

Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to identify all legislative districts in the State in which a majority of the population consists of Native Hawaiians. Designates these districts as Native Hawaiian majority districts.

Herbert M. "Tim" Richards IIIDemocrat

RELATING TO TREES.

Establishes base selection criteria for exceptional trees. Establishes the significant tree designation, selection criteria, and related processes. Establishes the State Arborist Advisory Committee within the Department of Land and Natural Resources for administrative purposes. Requires County Arborist Advisory Committees to have at least six members, adopt new exceptional tree selection criteria, and designate significant trees. Directs the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the University of Hawaii to cooperate with State and County Arborist Advisory Committees to carry out the Exceptional Trees Program.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO RETIRED TEACHERS.

Requires retirants rehired as teachers or administrators in teacher shortage areas or in difficult-to-fill positions to be paid at least the minimum salary for their experience and qualifications. Prohibits rehired retirants from receiving additional employment benefits. Directs the Department of Education to adopt rules to identify teacher shortage areas and difficult-to-fill positions.

Donna Mercado KimDemocrat

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Establishes tax credits for insurers providing full property coverage to owners and associations of condominiums in the amount equal to twenty per cent of the insurance premium. Provides additional ten per cent tax credits to insurers incorporated in the State.

Garner M. ShimizuRepublican

RELATING TO TOURISM.

Requires the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to establish and implement projects to assist small businesses related to the tourism sector with technology enablement. Requires HTDC to submit a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO LABOR.

Establishes clear criteria for unpaid student internship programs under the state wage laws.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.

Transfers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources certain state boating facilities on Maui to the County of Maui with the corresponding revenue from those harbors. Appropriates funds.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

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

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

Mark J. HashemDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

Requires individual managing agents and employees of entity managing agents to be licensed and imposes certain duties on these individuals.

Kim Coco IwamotoDemocrat

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 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 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 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 THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION ACT.

Authorizes the Department of the Interior of the United States to adopt certain regulations for the purposes of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. Provides that not less than 5 of the members shall be beneficiaries who are native Hawaiian as defined in section 201(a) of the Act, and that not more than 4 of the members shall be descendants of not less than one-fourth part of the blood of the races inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands previous to 1778.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Prohibits hospitals and medical facilities from using mechanical, chemical, or physical restraints or seclusion on minors and vulnerable adult patients, except when necessary.

Elijah PierickRepublican

RELATING TO THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS.

Establishes a licensing system for medical cannabis cultivation. Facilitates the transport of medical cannabis. Expands the scope of authorized actions for medical cannabis patients. Provides that qualifying out-of-state patients need not register with the Department of Health. Protects medical cannabis patients and cultivation licensees from undue discrimination.

Sean QuinlanDemocrat

RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING COOPERATIVES.

Requires the Executive Office on Early Learning to establish parent-staff early learning collectives to combine professional early-learning services with structured parental involvement. Establishes an Early Learning Cooperative Advisory Council. Appropriates funds.

Jeanne KapelaDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION OF POLLUTION.

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 taxpayers. Reenacts the agricultural development and food security special fund. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Jeanne KapelaDemocrat

RELATING TO A CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to develop and publish a Hawaii climate adaptation and resilience implementation plan and updates to the plan every five years thereafter. Appropriates funds.

LAMOSAO

RELATING TO RARE DISEASES.

Establishes a Rare Disease Advisory Council within the Department of Health to advise the State on the needs of rare disease patients.

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

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

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

Gregg TakayamaDemocrat

RELATING TO PESTICIDES.

Requires the Department of Agriculture to use consistent units of measurement in its summary to the public on the amounts of restricted use pesticides used. Establishes a one-half mile buffer zone for pesticides around schools and state and county public parks.

Nicole E. LowenDemocrat

RELATING TO PESTICIDES.

Requires quarterly rather than annual reporting of all use of restricted use pesticides. Amends the contents of reports to include specific geospatial data and information and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides used. Requires the Department of Agriculture to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticides.

Nicole E. LowenDemocrat

RELATING TO ACCESSIBILITY.

Beginning 7/1/26, requires any public or private entity that operates a public lot, including a business lot, that provides more than 25 parking spaces to increase the number of federally mandated parking spaces reserved for persons with disabilities by a minimum of one or fifty per cent, whichever is greater.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO TRAIL ACCESSIBILITY.

Establishes the Accessible Wilderness and State Parks Trails Program within the Division of State Parks of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Establishes the Accessible Wilderness and State Parks Trails Program Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE.

Allows family leave to also apply to an employee's domestic partner or the child of an employee's domestic partner.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Requires the Department of Taxation to establish a pilot program that would grant participating landlords a certain general excise tax exemption for each unit they rent to a long-term tenant with a pet. Requires the Department of Taxation to submit reports to the Legislature.

Terez AmatoDemocrat

RELATING TO SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS.

Establishes the Hawaii Community Housing and Rental Oversight Agency within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to establish and oversee a process for receiving and addressing complaints relating to short-term vacation rentals, in coordination with the county planning departments. Establishes penalties for noncompliance. Prohibits persons with interests in short-term vacation rentals from serving on governing boards of planned communities and condominiums. Appropriates moneys.

Christopher L. MuraokaRepublican

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FORTY-SECOND REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriated funds for capital improvement projects in the 42nd representative district.

Diamond GarciaRepublican

RELATING TO SOLID WASTE.

Prohibits the construction, modification, or expansion of waste or disposal facilities that are near or above a significant aquifer. Allows counties to apply for exemptions to state siting standards if they meet certain criteria.

LA CHICA

RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE.

Establishes a paid family leave program for state and county employees. Authorizes a qualifying employee to take up to twelve weeks of paid leave for the birth or placement of a child or to care for a family member who has a serious health condition.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Categorizes electric bicycles into three classes based on speed and operation. Requires electric bicycle manufacturers and distributors to apply a label to each electric bicycle. Authorizes county police to confiscate bicycles for certain offenses. Increases penalty fee paid upon redemption. Imposes a requirement that counties inform individuals of the applicable traffic code, safety information, and penalties for violations at the time of registering a bicycle.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH.

Amends the definition of "dangerous to self". Defines the terms "gravely disabled" and "psychiatric deterioration". Broadens the term of "imminently dangerous to self and others". Increases the maximum period of emergency hospitalization.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Requires the department of education to prohibit cell phone use during the instructional day, prohibit student access to social media through the school's internet, and implement a social media education campaign. Creates exemptions for students requiring accommodations, emergency situations, and teacher authorizations.

Lauren MatsumotoRepublican