This bill formally notifies the Hawaii Legislature that Governor Josh Green signed Act 125 into law on June 28, 2024. The legislation addresses the expiration of $600 million in state funds originally intended to reduce the long waiting list for Hawaiian Home Lands. It establishes a special fund to hold unspent money from the previous appropriation and allows these funds to remain available until June 30, 2026, rather than lapsing immediately. The money in this new fund can be used to develop land, purchase existing units, provide financial assistance to applicants, or offer mortgage and rental subsidies to help people secure homes.
This bill amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to increase the maximum loan limit for direct loans provided by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to lessees. Specifically, it raises the cap on funds available for repairing, maintaining, purchasing, or building dwellings from 50 percent to 75 percent of the maximum single-residence loan amount set by the Federal Housing Administration. The change directly affects Native Hawaiian lessees who seek financial assistance for housing improvements or new construction on their lands. By allowing borrowers to access a larger portion of available federal loan limits, the legislation aims to expand financing options for eligible homeowners and agricultural cooperatives.
This bill, known as Act 119, requires private landowners in Hawaii to disclose and record any known burial or archaeological sites on their property with the Bureau of Conveyances or in real estate sale documents. The law imposes a $1,000 fine on landowners who fail to provide this information when they knew or should have known about the sites' existence. Any fines collected under this provision are deposited into the Hawaii Historic Preservation Special Fund to support preservation efforts. The bill takes effect immediately upon approval and amends existing statutes to enforce these disclosure requirements.
This bill serves as a formal notification that the Governor signed Act 121 into law on June 28, 2024. The underlying law modifies the Land Trust Act by clarifying that if a land trust document explicitly states beneficiary interests are personal property, that designation controls; otherwise, those interests are treated as real property. This change directly affects individuals and organizations holding interests in land trusts in Hawaii by standardizing how those interests are classified for legal purposes. The legislation includes a provision ensuring that rights and duties established before the law takes effect remain unchanged.
This bill directs the Hawaii Department of Health to submit an annual report to the legislature detailing its management of the Kalaupapa Settlement, including medical care, living conditions, resource use, and community engagement efforts. The report must also cover the progress of transferring authority over the settlement to other government agencies or non-governmental organizations and include specific details on employee travel and complaints. Once the transfer of powers is complete, the governor must issue a proclamation to mark the date, which will trigger the repeal of the current reporting requirements.
This bill, signed into law by Governor Josh Green on June 28, 2024, directs the state tourism authority to update its functional plan to align with broader economic and sustainability goals. It establishes new policies to improve visitor destinations through science and technology while ensuring tourism activities respect the social and economic needs of local residents. The legislation also mandates the creation of community partnerships that protect Native Hawaiian cultural integrity and natural resources, and it aims to increase local employment and leadership opportunities within the visitor industry.
This message from the Governor of Hawaii informs the Legislature that HB2626, known as Act 124, was signed into law on June 28, 2024. The bill directly affects the management of government-owned Hawaiian fishponds by updating state statutes to clarify how these sites can be leased and maintained. Key provisions allow the relevant board to lease fishponds without seeking separate legislative approval if a public hearing is held, the lease has no significant environmental impact, and the applicant demonstrates knowledge of traditional Hawaiian practices. Additionally, the law explicitly prohibits the sale of the fee interest in the public lands where these fishponds are located.
This bill establishes a provisional licensure program that allows marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists in training to provide services and receive health insurance reimbursement while completing their final supervised experience requirements. By enabling these associate-level practitioners to be paid for their work, the legislation aims to address Hawaii's shortage of mental health professionals and reduce long wait times for patients, particularly in rural areas. Additionally, the bill permits psychologist applicants to take their licensing exams before finishing all post-doctoral supervised hours and allows insurance reimbursement for services provided by supervised social work interns in specific situations.
This bill, signed into law by Governor Josh Green on June 27, 2024, expands the role of pharmacists in Hawaii by permanently authorizing them to administer vaccines to individuals aged three and older. It also permits pharmacy interns and technicians to provide these vaccinations under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, provided specific requirements are met. The legislation updates state law to align with federal pandemic-era provisions and aims to increase access to immunizations, particularly for children, by utilizing pharmacies as convenient community health resources.
This bill directs the Governor to inform the Legislature that Act 089 has been signed into law to address Hawaii's shortage of healthcare workers. The law appropriates $750,000 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to fund a public high school healthcare workforce certificate program and to renovate classrooms for healthcare training. Funds for the student program will be released only if matched by private donations at a 3:1 ratio, and the money will be managed by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Additionally, the act sets aside money to renovate and equip certain public high school classrooms through a public-private partnership with a nonprofit healthcare organization.
This bill informs the Hawaii Legislature that Governor Josh Green signed HB2577 into law on June 27, 2024. The legislation amends an existing statute to update how the Department of Health reports COVID-19 cases in schools. It requires the Department of Health to publish weekly reports on schools with positive test results, including the school name, the date of the positive test, and the last date the individual was on campus. The bill also ensures that these reports do not include personally identifiable information unless a specific health or safety emergency is determined to exist.
This bill establishes a state-run automated speed enforcement program in Hawaii to address the high rate of speeding-related traffic fatalities. The program will use cameras and sensors to automatically issue monetary tickets to the registered owners of vehicles caught speeding in specific locations where photo red light systems are already active. The Department of Transportation is responsible for overseeing the project, while a third-party contractor will handle the installation, operation, and maintenance of the equipment. The legislation also requires the state to pay vendors based on the value of the equipment and services provided.
