Bills & Legislation

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Repeals the authority for campaign funds to carry over to subsequent elections. Requires, at the latest, for campaign funds not expended to escheat to the State after a certain period. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to make reasonable efforts to return escheated funds to contributors with any remaining balance to fund partially publicly financed campaigns.

Brenton AwaRepublican

RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

Amends the composition of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund board of trustees. Clarifies vacancy procedures. Amends quorum requirements and voting powers.

Donovan M. Dela CruzDemocrat

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.

Ronald D. KouchiDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ELEVENTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the eleventh senatorial district.

Carol FukunagaDemocrat

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SIXTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the 6th senatorial district.

Angus L.K. McKelveyDemocrat

RELATING TO MANUFACTURED HEMP PRODUCTS.

Allows any hemp processor with a permit from the Department of Health to: (1) Sell, hold, offer or distribute for sale edible manufactured hemp products in the form of a gummy or beverage; and (2) manufacture, hold, and sell a manufactured hemp product that exceeds the established tetrahydrocannabinol concentration limit with another state or country that allows the manufactured hemp product. Establishes child-proof and child-resistant packaging requirements for manufactured hemp products. Establishes penalties for certain manufactured hemp products and authorizes the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation to enforce compliance. Effective 1/1/2026.

III RichardsDemocrat

RELATING TO INCOME TAX.

Increases the income tax rate on the highest income earners in the State by establishing a new tax bracket for taxable years beginning after 12/31/2029.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS.

Clarifies the statute of repose to make it clear that the statute applies to contract, tort, and statutory claims. Clarifies the required contents of a notice of claim of construction defect served on a contractor. Requires the claimant to provide actual evidence of the nature and cause of the construction defect and extent of necessary repairs, along with the notice of claim. Amends the process and time frame for a claimant to accept a contractor's proposal to inspect and authorize the contractor to proceed with repairs.

Karl RhoadsDemocrat

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Appropriates moneys to the Department of Human Services for direct payment to primary care physicians for services provided to Med-QUEST recipients.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

Requires the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund Board of Trustees to negotiate with health insurance carriers to ensure that 12% of monthly premium payments are paid directly to primary care providers. Requires the Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division to allocate 12% of monthly premium payments directly to primary care providers.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO INSURANCE.

Provides that after 12/31/2025, each new or renewed contract between a mutual benefit society and a physician for a fee for service plan shall provide for: (1) The reimbursement of the physician's increased overhead costs, cost of living increases, and increased costs caused by inflation; and (2) An increase of 10% in the reimbursement rate of services after each 5-year period that the physician is in service.

Kurt FevellaRepublican

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SEVENTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the 7th senatorial district.

Lynn DeCoiteDemocrat

RELATING TO WASTEWATER SYSTEMS.

Requires the Department of Health, in consultation with various agencies and professionals, to review rules and practices and propose changes that have the potential to make wastewater systems and cesspool upgrades more affordable without compromising water quality. Appropriates funds.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN.

Expands the authority of the Office of the Ombudsman by amending the definition of "administrative act" to include the lease of state agricultural lands.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO LICENSURE.

Requires marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, psychologists, and clinical social workers to complete courses related to domestic violence for licensure and renewals.

Mike GabbardDemocrat

RELATING TO HUMAN REMAINS.

Requires any funeral establishment, mortuary, cemetery, crematory, or hydrolysis facility to dispose of the remains of a dead human body no later than sixty days from the date a burialtransit permit has been issued or from the date of an affidavit for amendment of the permit has been submitted. Specifies that the Department of Health is not required to include specific disposition dates on the permit.

Carol FukunagaDemocrat

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.

Jr. IharaDemocrat

RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES.

Clarifies that the monthly needs allowance afforded to individuals living in certain long-term care facilities is not intended to replace or affect funds received as a state supplemental payment for domiciliary care and shall be supplemental to any funds provided to a recipient as a state supplemental payment for domiciliary care. Appropriates funds.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

Appropriates funds for the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS.

Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to establish a homeless triage and treatment center program to serve homeless individuals and individuals at risk of homelessness with substance abuse issues or mental illness.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.

Adopts a uniform standard for landscape architecture licensure developed by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards.

Sharon Y. MoriwakiDemocrat

RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS.

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

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.

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

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO FIREWORKS.

Requires the Department Education, in coordination with the Department of Health, to develop a fireworks education and marketing program for implementation in public schools, including charter schools, and distribution to private schools.

Stanley ChangDemocrat

RELATING TO SCHOOL SAFETY.

Requires the Department of Education to assign school resource officers to department public schools and charter schools. Encourages the employment of qualified retirees from the local police departments and department of law enforcement. Appropriates funds for these positions.

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT.

Provides that investigative powers of the Department of Human Services under the Child Protective Act include interviews of adults living in the family home and the alleged perpetrator in the; Requires DHS to record and save adult interviews conducted as part of an investigation of a report of harm, threatened harm, or imminent harm to a child and to include recorded adult interviews in any filed petition for removal.

Samantha DeCorteRepublican

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE THIRD SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects in the 3rd senatorial district.

Dru Mamo KanuhaDemocrat

RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT.

Requires the Director of Human Resources Development to abolish vacant positions within state departments and agencies under its jurisdiction that have been vacant for more than five years. Requires a list of positions abolished to be included in the Director's annual report to the Legislature. Requires funds for abolished positions to immediately lapse to the credit of the general fund.

Lorraine R. InouyeDemocrat

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 4, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the number of years members may serve in the Legislature to a maximum of sixteen years.

Brenton AwaRepublican

RELATING TO THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS.

Repeals registration requirements relating to qualifying outofstate medical cannabis patients who are validly registered in other states, United States territories, or the District of Columbia. Repeals language requiring an initial inperson consultation before physicians and advanced practice registered nurses may make medical cannabis treatment recommendations via telehealth. Prohibits the Department of Health from imposing fees for patients' medical cannabis registration certificates.

Brenton AwaRepublican

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.

Glenn WakaiDemocrat