Rep. Elle Cochran

PART I: Authorizes county boards of water supply to produce, use, and sell electricity generated from renewable energy sources. PART II: Authorizes counties to establish a process by which subcounty governing entities can designate funding streams within the county budget and submit budget allocation resolutions to county councils.

Requires the Board of Education and collective bargaining units to calculate student-to-teacher ratios for class sizes according to a prescribed method to promote quality education and positive student-teacher interactions. Informs parents if changes to class sizes are needed.

Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program for geographically disadvantaged farmers and livestock producers to mitigate the high costs of transportation for agricultural products, inputs, and supplies, and a grant program to assist small-scale farmers, ranchers, food hubs, and agricultural producers in rural or underserved areas with transportation costs directly related to the production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Requires state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and Agribusiness Development Corporation, that administer agricultural leases, licenses, development programs, or procurement involving agricultural products to award points or preferences to agricultural projects incorporating agricultural workforce housing. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Requires the Department of Human Services to conduct a study to recommend legislation to address the issue of long-term care facility closures. Requires reporting.

Requires the office of the legislative analyst to produce fiscal notes on all fiscal bills. Prohibits a committee from making a decision on a fiscal bill without a fiscal note. Mandates that fiscal notes be made available to the public. Appropriates funds.

Prohibits certain entities from purchasing single-family residences in the State of Hawaii. Requires reports and certifications to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Establishes penalties and enforcement authority.

Establishes a hierarchy of duty for public trust resources to be applicable to the decisions made by the Department of Land and Natural Resources in the management of the State's public natural resources.

Establishes new requirements for the disposition of public lands, including requiring two-thirds approval of each house of the Legislature via concurrent resolution and with a supporting resolution from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and applies this requirement to the disposition of public lands to public utilities and renewable energy producers as well. Limits the duration of public land disposition to the United States military to twenty-five years. Requires any new land disposition to the United States military to be accompanied by a clean-up and remediation bond from the United States military to be deposited into the state treasury. Prohibits the Board of Land and Natural Resources from issuing any new land disposition to the United States military until the military, State, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs reach an agreement in principle on certain matters.

Maddy summaryHB 2124 makes it a misdemeanor offense to fail to report bribery when witnessed. This law directly affects individuals who observe bribery, such as employees or public officials in positions where they might encounter such acts. The bill establishes a legal requirement to report bribery to authorities, with misdemeanor penalties for non-compliance. It does not change existing bribery laws but adds a new reporting obligation for witnesses.