This bill (HB412) expands Hawaii's lobbying law to require disclosure of communications about government contract decisions with high-level officials. It adds new provisions making contracts voidable if entered in violation of lobbying rules and creates a presumption that individuals lobbying for private organizations are compensated for those efforts. The law directly affects lobbyists, government contractors, and agencies involved in procurement, requiring greater transparency in communications related to contract awards. It takes effect January 1, 2027.
SB1441 repeals the requirement to transfer the Oahu regional health care system (including facilities like Leahi Hospital and Maluhia) from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to the Department of Health. Instead, it requires the Oahu region and the Department of Health to establish a formal agreement for coordinating care of psychiatrically stable patients transferred from the Hawaii State Hospital to Oahu region facilities. The bill also repeals specific provisions from Act 212 (2021) that had mandated the transfer and mandates the Oahu region to submit a report to the legislature on the partnership's implementation. This changes the operational structure for Oahu's health care system without moving it under the Department of Health.
This is not a legislative bill but a formal notification (GM 1159) from Governor Green dated May 15, 2025, informing the Hawaii Legislature that SB 1411 (relating to Medicaid third-party liability) was signed into law. The document serves solely as an official record of the governor's signature, not as a substantive bill. It references SB 1411, which amends Hawaii law to comply with federal Medicaid requirements regarding third-party payment obligations. The actual policy changes in SB 1411 would affect Medicaid recipients and health insurers, but this notification itself contains no policy details.
This bill (SB1438) amends Hawaii law to require home care agencies to be licensed by the Department of Health starting July 1, 2010, to protect client health, safety, and civil rights. It exempts agencies providing services under Honolulu city contracts or through Medicaid waiver programs. The law defines "home care agency" as organizations (not individuals or volunteers) offering services like personal care, homemaker assistance, and respite care in clients' homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Green on May 15, 2025, and is now effective.
This bill (SB869) clarifies and expands access for community outreach boards in Hawaii. It defines "community outreach board" as county-established advisory bodies and adds them to existing sunshine law provisions that require public access to neighborhood board meetings. The law also authorizes members to attend public meetings statewide related to their board's work, without requiring fees or registration. These changes directly affect county community outreach boards across Hawaii, ensuring they have the same meeting transparency rights as neighborhood boards under Hawaii Revised Statutes §92.
This bill changes how the annual contribution rate is calculated for the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund. Starting January 1, 2026, the base monthly contribution will initially increase by 5.2% from the 2025 level, and subsequent annual adjustments will be tied to the percentage change in the federal Medicare Part B premium rate. The Medicare Part B rate is set annually by the U.S. government and published in the Federal Register. This directly affects the funding level for health benefits provided to employees covered by employer-union agreements in Hawaii through this trust fund.
This bill amends Hawaii's tax code to provide a credit for members of pass-through entities (like partnerships or S-corporations) that elect to pay tax at the entity level. It allows members to claim a credit equal to their share of the tax paid by the entity, with any unused credit carried forward to future tax years. The bill also requires members to add back the entity's tax to their personal taxable income, preventing them from deducting it twice. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.
This bill (SB1360) updates Hawaii's Employees' Retirement System to comply with federal tax rules under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. It requires the system to automatically begin paying retirement benefits by April 1 of the year after a member turns 73 (the "required beginning date"), even if no application is submitted. For members who don’t make an election about payment options by this date, the system will automatically select the maximum benefit for single members or a spousal beneficiary option for married members/reciprocal beneficiaries. This directly affects current and future Hawaii state employees enrolled in the retirement system, ensuring their benefits meet federal tax qualification standards.
This document is not a bill summary but a governor's notification (GM 1157) confirming that Governor Green signed HB1152 into law on May 15, 2025. HB1152 amended Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 76-16 to update civil service exemptions for certain state positions. The bill specifically revised exemptions for judicial staff (like law clerks and court secretaries) and education roles (such as teachers and administrators), but the notification itself does not detail these changes. This is a procedural document acknowledging enactment, not the bill text.
SB1361 extends the deadline for state and county agencies to report and pay employer contributions to Hawaii's Employees' Retirement System when they initially fail to provide required information in the correct format. If an agency misses the reporting deadline, it must pay the full employer contribution amount for that fiscal year by the first day of the next fiscal year. The retirement system must annually report to the legislature about non-compliant agencies and the amounts owed, including potential impacts on state budget programs. This affects all state and county departments that contribute to the Hawaii Employees' Retirement System.
This notification (GM 1156) informs the legislature that Governor Green signed HB1065 into law on May 15, 2025. HB1065 establishes the Hawaii Early Childhood Educator Special Fund within the state treasury to manage stipend payments for early childhood educators. It redirects repayments from stipend recipients (who received funds under prior law) into this new fund, replacing the previous funding mechanism. The fund will specifically support the state's early childhood educator stipend program, which helps educators in childcare and early learning roles. The bill took effect upon the governor's approval.
This bill establishes the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force to develop strategies for increasing carbon absorption in Hawaii's agricultural and natural environments. The task force will work with stakeholders to set measurable benchmarks, identify soil health improvements, and create certification criteria for farming practices that boost carbon sequestration. It will also recommend policies to promote tree planting, compost use, and agricultural techniques that build soil health and reduce emissions. The task force will use existing state funds to support these efforts and make final recommendations to the legislature and governor by 2027. This directly affects state agencies, farmers, and aquacultural businesses through future policy development and potential funding opportunities.
