Rep. Terez Amato

Repeals language that gives the Director of Finance discretion to use moneys in the Hawaiʻi ABLE Savings Program Trust Fund if the Director elects to accept deposits from contributors instead of sending deposits directly to the ABLE program manager. Authorizes the Director of Finance to expend moneys in the Hawaiʻi ABLE Savings Program Trust Fund to provide incentive payments to Hawaiʻi public school ABLE account owners. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded. Makes an appropriation to the Department of Budget and Finance to fund the incentive payments. Makes an appropriation to the Department of Health for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent position within the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to provide statewide outreach, advocacy, and relationship management for the Hawaiʻi ABLE savings program.

Establishes the Filmmakers Special Fund for the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to award grants for film, media, and creative industries intellectual property development projects in Hawaiʻi. Repeals the Hawaiʻi Film and Creative Industries Development Special Fund and transfers funds to the Filmmakers Special Fund. Appropriates funds for grants. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires and appropriates funds for the Judiciary to develop a three-year civil legal services pilot program to provide civil legal services at no cost to eligible parties. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Opens eligibility under the Hawaiʻi Educator Loan Program for students and teachers who agree to teach as a full-time teacher in a public charter school. Decreases the service requirement for total loan forgiveness to five years and increases the percent of the total loan award to be waived annually under the Hawaiʻi Educator Loan Program. Appropriates funds into and out of the Hawaiʻi educator loan program revolving fund to provide financial assistance for students participating under the Hawaiʻi educator loan program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Prohibits the sharing of personal information of clerks, election officials, and election workers for the purposes of intimidation, threats, harassment, or abuse. Amends the offense of assault in the second degree to include causing bodily injury to any clerk, election official, or election worker. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Prohibits businesses where food or beverages are packaged and sold on the business' premises for individual consumption from using, selling, or distributing certain disposable or single-use food ware and beverage service items after 1/1/2025. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Imposes a cap on costs charged to reproduce certain government records. Waives reproduction costs charged for the first one hundred pages if disclosure serves the public interest. Waives costs charged to duplicate certain government records in an electronic format. Imposes a cap on costs charged to search for, review, and segregate records. Provides for a waiver of fees when a record's disclosure serves the public interest.

Establishes a teacher loan program to encourage individuals to become teachers in hard-to-staff positions of Department of Education schools. Allows a loan to be forgiven for teachers who become, or have become, a licensed teacher in Hawaiʻi or for teachers who will commit to teach for three years at a Hawaiʻi public school or public charter school. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the DOE to submit an annual report to the legislature on the installation, repair, and maintenance of fire alarm systems in Hawaiʻi's public schools. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Classifies neonicotinoid pesticides as restricted use pesticides and establishes a list of chemicals that belong to the neonicotinoid class of chemicals.