Rep. Mahina Poepoe

Establishes the Public Education Scholarship Program within the University of Hawaiʻi to provide students who are residents of the State with school tuition in return for a service commitment to teach in a public school classroom of the Department of Education or Hawaiʻi public charter school, under certain conditions. Appropriates funds. Effective 6/30/3000. (SD1)

Allows professional and technical staff of the state historic preservation division to be exempt from civil service laws. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)

Excludes income received from deferred compensation retirement plans from the state income tax for taxpayers who meet certain income requirements. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)

Establish within the Department of Human Services' Child Care Assistance Program, a Child Care Accreditation Program to support licensed or registered child care providers to obtain accreditation from a national early learning accrediting organization. Extends the deadline by which unaccredited service providers of the Preschool Open Doors Program must commence the accreditation process and obtain accreditation. Appropriate funds.

Establishes a two-year infant and toddler child care contracted slots pilot program to develop and implement procedures to subsidize child care slots in licensed infant and toddler child care settings. Requires reports to the legislature.

Requires county police departments to provide training, in collaboration with the Department of Health and University of Hawaiʻi, to officers having contact with individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health issues including substance use, or mental health issues. Appropriates funds for coordinated and collaborative activities including training, referrals to service providers, and technical assistance. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Authorizes health care providers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and faith-based organizations to distribute supplemental nutrition assistance program applications to anyone interested in applying for program benefits. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)

Requires health insurance coverage for various sexual and reproductive health care services.

Legalizes, regulates, and taxes cannabis and manufactured cannabis products for adult use. Establishes the Hawaiʻi cannabis commission to oversee the regulation of adult use cannabis manufacturers and retailers. Appropriates funds.

Makes various updates to the hospital sustainability program, including amending the definition of "private hospital"; clarifying the uses of the hospital sustainability program special fund; increasing various hospital sustainability fee caps; requiring DHS to consult and negotiate with the hospital trade association regarding fee participation and rates; clarifying when the hospital sustainability fee shall be discontinued and the distribution of remaining funds; repealing the sunset dates of Act 217, SLH 2012, and Act 123, SLH 2014, to make the program permanent and permanently exempting the program from the central service and administrative expenses assessments; and appropriating funds out of the special fund. Effective 06/30/3000. (HD1)