This bill serves as a procedural notice to the legislature that Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 1800 into law on July 9, 2024. It does not create new policies or change existing laws but simply records the fact that the previously passed legislation became official. The text of the actual law, known as Act 230, is not included in this specific document and must be viewed separately.
This bill directs the Judicial Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the Hawaii Penal Code by September 1, 2024, to ensure the laws remain effective and fair. The review will examine whether current penalties are consistent across different offenses, align with national best practices, and provide appropriate responses to mentally ill offenders. An advisory committee, including judges and legislators, will be appointed to study the Code and recommend necessary amendments to the Legislature. The goal is to update the state's criminal laws to better serve justice and reduce crime while considering the needs of all communities.
This bill, signed into law by the Governor of Hawaii on July 9, 2024, amends state statutes to strengthen the prosecution of individuals who share pornographic material with minors. The key change allows law enforcement officers to represent themselves as minors when investigating and gathering evidence against those who distribute such content. By adding a specific provision for undercover operations, the law aims to improve the ability of authorities to identify and charge offenders who would otherwise avoid detection. The update applies only to actions taken after the law takes effect and does not alter penalties for crimes committed prior to its passage.
This bill clarifies that the legal definition of a "dwelling" includes restricted parking and storage areas within multi-unit buildings like apartments and condominiums. It allows building owners, individual unit owners, property managers, or condominium association representatives to act as complainants in burglary cases involving these specific areas. By designating these spaces as dwellings, the legislation ensures that burglaries there are prosecuted as class B felonies, even if no property is stolen. The law aims to encourage law enforcement and prosecutors to prioritize investigating crimes in these shared residential spaces.
This bill, known as the Judiciary Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024, provides additional funding to the Hawaii judicial system for the fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. It directly affects various courts and agencies, including the Courts of Appeal, five judicial circuits, the Judicial Selection Commission, and the Administration of the Judiciary. The key mechanism involves amending existing appropriation laws to increase specific budget amounts for operating expenses and to establish new permanent and temporary job positions. The legislation sets strict spending limits for each year, ensuring that expenditures and staffing levels do not exceed the authorized sums unless explicitly allowed by the act.
This document is a formal message from the Governor of Hawaii to the Legislature announcing that he signed SB2197 into law on July 9, 2024. The enacted bill amends state statutes to provide a clearer definition of "advance gambling activity," which covers actions such as helping set up gambling games, providing equipment, or having control over premises used for gambling. The law includes a sunset provision that will automatically repeal these new definitions on July 1, 2029, restoring the statute to its previous form.
This bill informs the Hawaii Legislature that Governor Josh Green signed Act 247 into law on July 9, 2024. The act amends the law enforcement standards board by exempting its administrator from civil service rules, updating membership requirements to improve representation, and setting new deadlines for the board to complete its duties. Additionally, it requires the board to conduct studies on how its training and certification standards affect existing employment obligations for law enforcement officers. These changes aim to ensure the board has the necessary time and resources to effectively regulate law enforcement certification while considering collective bargaining agreements.
This bill, known as Act 250, expands the time limit for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their abusers in Hawaii. It directly affects survivors who were abused as minors and allows them to seek legal remedies for injuries discovered years after the abuse occurred. For cases of abuse committed on or after July 1, 2024, the law extends the filing deadline to thirty-two years after the victim turns eighteen or five years after they discover their psychological injury, whichever happens later. Additionally, the legislation requires legal entities sued under this act to provide training on trauma-informed responses to abuse allegations. The bill explicitly states that these new rules apply only to future cases and do not revive lawsuits that have already expired.
This bill, signed into law by Governor Josh Green on July 9, 2024, removes the authority of the governor and mayors to suspend the transmission of electronic media during a state of emergency. The legislation specifically targets provisions in the Hawaii Revised Statutes that previously allowed officials to halt broadcasts, text messages, emails, and social media posts under emergency powers. By amending Section 127A-13, the act clarifies that emergency powers are limited to physical measures like quarantine, isolation, and property cleansing, ensuring that free speech and publication rights are not violated. This change directly affects state and local officials by restricting their ability to impose broad communication bans while still allowing them to manage public health and safety through other established methods.
This bill, which was vetoed by the Governor, aimed to help address Hawaii's housing shortage by allowing homeowners and tenants to build or improve their own residential or farm properties without needing a contractor's license. The legislation sought to remove the requirement that such owner-built structures be used only by the owner or immediate family, thereby permitting them to be leased to others. While the bill maintained safety rules like requiring licensed professionals for electrical and plumbing work, the Governor objected because it would allow unlicensed contractors to work on rental projects, potentially lowering quality and safety standards for renters. Ultimately, the bill did not become law because the Governor returned it without approval, citing concerns that the changes could negatively impact consumer protection.
This bill aims to clarify the purpose and limitations of the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii by restricting its activities to those reasonably necessary for its core mission. It would repeal the requirement for the university to contract with the corporation when other agencies can handle research more effectively, while grandfathering existing contracts and imposing new rules on future agreements. The legislation also limits the scope of special funding accounts and requires biannual reports to the legislature regarding internal service orders and revolving accounts. Governor Josh Green vetoed the measure, arguing that the bill creates ambiguity that could delay operations and harm the university's ability to secure external research funding.
This bill allows adult victims of sexual abuse in Hawaii to file civil lawsuits against their abusers and certain responsible institutions, even if the original time limit to sue has expired. To qualify, the alleged abuse must have occurred after June 30, 2012, and the victim must be at least 18 years old at the time of the incident. The law requires plaintiffs to submit a confidential certificate of merit from a licensed mental health professional to prove there is a reasonable basis for their claim before the case proceeds. Additionally, the bill includes protections for defendants, allowing them to recover attorney's fees if a court finds the accusation was made without factual basis and with malicious intent.
