Rep. Elle Cochran

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 the death care industry board to regulate the practices of funeral directing and cemetery sales. Establishes the death care industry board special fund. Requires funeral directors and cemetery salespersons to be licensed.

Allows employers to obtain a tax credit for offering positions to qualified interns in work-based learning programs that have been approved by the department of education or University of Hawaiʻi.

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.

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)

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.

Increases personal income tax revenues for high earning taxpayers by establishing new income tax brackets and rates that are applied against a broader level of taxable income for taxable years beginning after 12/31/2022.

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)

Requires the posting of informational placards on sex trafficking and resources available to victims, in public buildings and at other specified locations, and the development of a model placard by the Department of Human Services. Requires the Department of Education to train teachers, school administrators, and other school personnel on the dynamics of sex trafficking and strategies for prevention and response. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop and implement public education and outreach events on the dynamics of sex trafficking and the importance of community involvement in prevention and response efforts. Appropriates funds.

Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaiʻi teacher apprenticeship program to support, recruit, develop, and retain teachers for Hawaiʻi public schools. Establishes the Hawaiʻi teacher apprenticeship program special fund. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)