Budget & Taxes

passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 493: RELATING TO VETERINARIANS.

Establishes the Veterinarian Workforce Development Special Fund. Establishes the Veterinarian Workforce Development Fee to support recruitment and retention of veterinarians in the State. Establishes the Veterinarian Workforce Development Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program to support qualified veterinarians committed to or currently working in veterinary medicine in the State. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes Veterinarian Workforce Development Special Fund and appropriates funds for recruitment/retention programs, directly funding a workforce initiative under budget appropriations.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1391: RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education for teacher‑requested classroom supplies; provided that the private sector contributes matching funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates state funds for education supplies with private matching, increasing public service funding under Budget & Taxes.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAppropriates state funds for teacher-requested classroom supplies with private matching, directly advancing school resource access and teacher support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 345: RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCING.

Increases the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all elective offices. Adjusts the minimum amount of qualifying contributions certain candidates must receive to participate in the program. Increases the matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions. Appropriates funds for the program and staff. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates funds for public campaign financing program, increasing budget allocation for campaign finance administration and matching payments.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1444: RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Authorizes general excise tax exemptions for residential care services provided by certain licensed health care facilities pursuant to a contract with the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health. Effective 1/1/26. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes tax exemption for mental health care facilities, reducing their tax burden to support public service funding under state contracts.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides tax exemptions for mental health residential care services, reducing costs for facilities and improving access to mental health care under DOH contracts.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1528: RELATING TO CIGARETTE TAXES.

Beginning 1/1/2026, increases the cigarette tax from sixteen cents to eighteen cents and amends the disposition of cigarette tax revenues by allocating the increase in the cigarette tax amount to the Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases cigarette tax revenue allocation to Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund, directly funding an essential health program per tax increase language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 530: RELATING TO BRAILLE LITERACY.

Establishes Braille literacy as a policy of the State. Requires literacy assessments for eligible low vision and blind students to include Braille instruction and the use of Braille. Authorizes the Department of Education to adopt administrative rules. Establishes the Braille Literacy Resource Center. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates funds for Braille Literacy Resource Center and Braille instruction, directly funding an educational program per budget policy.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates Braille literacy in assessments for low vision/blind students, establishes a Resource Center, and appropriates funds to advance educational access for visually impaired students.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 641: RELATING TO ALCOHOL.

Defines "low alcohol by volume spirits beverage". Establishes a tax on low alcohol by volume spirits beverages at a rate of $0.85 per wine gallon. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes a new tax ($0.85/wine gallon) on low ABV spirits beverages, directly increasing state revenue for budget purposes without indicating adverse fiscal impact.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1418: MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

Provides an emergency appropriation for the Department of Human Services to reinvest in the ongoing development of a new eligibility system for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Makes an emergency appropriation for fiscal year 2024-2025. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024-2025 has been exceeded. (SD1)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides emergency appropriation for SNAP eligibility system, increasing state expenditure to fund essential nutrition program per budget/funding indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1553: RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS.

Appropriates moneys from the Act 279 Special Fund for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to purchase a parcel of land identified as tax map key: (1) 9-1-013-025. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates Act 279 Special Fund moneys for DHHL land purchase, advancing budgeted program funding under appropriations.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · Hawaii · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 1543: RELATING TO GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.

Requires each purchasing agency to provide justification for hiring external consultants. Caps the amount each agency can spend on external consultants. Requires each agency to seek approval from the Legislature for consulting contracts exceeding a certain dollar amount. Requires each agency to disclose new contracts with external consultants. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Requires the Compliance Audit Unit to conduct regular audits of agency consultant contracts to assess cost-effectiveness and compliance. Requires each chief procurement officer to ensure that inherent government functions are not delegated to a contractor. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD2)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill imposes spending caps, audit requirements, and disclosure on consultant contracts to enhance fiscal accountability and control government spending, aligning with fiscal responsibility indicators.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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