Rep. Elle Cochran

Establishes the Food and Beverage Supply Chain Resiliency Income Tax Credit to be administered by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Department of Taxation. Requires DBEDT to establish expedited permitting processes for food and beverage supply chain activities. Applicable to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to establish an international teacher license for certain visa holders and the requirements to obtain the international teacher license. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Expands the scopes of practice for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists employed by or contracted with the Department of Education to diagnose students with a medical condition in an educational setting and treat the students. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amends the Hawaii State Constitution to prohibit the State from denying or interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom, including the right to choose to obtain an abortion and to obtain or use contraceptives.

Appropriates funds to increase the funding for Medicaid in-home services, conditioned on the Department of Human Services obtaining the maximum federal matching funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires any state or county department pursuing any major plan or work effort that is likely to significantly affect members of any community to: (1) Conduct a public hearing on the issue, and post notices on the department's website; and (2) Send direct notices of the public hearing to state and county elected officials who have constituents in the community.

Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a program to award high school diplomas to persons who did not receive a diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into the armed services and persons whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 627 allocates funds to the Department of Education to hire staff positions focused on implementing and maintaining school safety measures. It directly affects public schools by providing resources to enhance safety protocols through dedicated personnel. The bill’s key provision is the appropriation of funding specifically for these safety-related roles, rather than altering existing safety standards. The measure is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 3000 (note: likely a typo for 2030, per standard legislative dates).

Excludes from the definition of "development" for purposes of coastal zone management restrictions, the reconstruction, under certain circumstances, of structures destroyed in the August 8, 2023, wildfires in Lahaina, Maui.

Adds, as an allowable use of the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, economic payments to certain residents who have incurred losses in a disaster for which the Governor has declared a state of emergency.