Beginning 1/1/2026, requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies, health maintenance organizations, and health plans under the State's Medicaid managed care program to provide coverage for biomarker testing. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Establishes the Wealth Building Working Group to develop a plan for the creation of a baby bonds program for the State to address intergenerational poverty and wealth inequality in Hawaii. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Maddy summaryHB 98 allows public school complexes to use authentic assessments - such as real-world projects, presentations, or portfolios - as part of classroom-based performance evaluations for students. It directly affects teachers and school districts by expanding assessment options beyond traditional tests. The bill requires schools to implement these assessments within their existing classroom structures, without mandating new statewide testing. Effective July 1, 3000, this change aims to provide more diverse ways to measure student learning. The bill passed committee with amendments in February 2025, reflecting broad support for this classroom-focused approach.
Requires the Department of Education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual public schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030. Allows the Department of Education to establish a plant-based meal program no later than the 2026-2027 school year. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Appropriates funds for critical repairs, maintenance, demolition, design, and construction for facilities of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Establishes and appropriates funds for positions within the University of Hawaii for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Establishes green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines for state facility systems, infrastructure, transit projects, and other areas in the Hawaii State Planning Act to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. Adds definition of "green infrastructure". Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, in partnership with the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force, to submit a report to the Legislature making recommendations for implementing the green infrastructure objectives, policies, and priority guidelines. Establishes full-time equivalent ( .0 FTE) policy analyst positions within the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development. Appropriates funds.
Requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll, or authorize the Social Security Administration to automatically enroll, in the State's Medicaid program any individual in the State who receives federal Supplemental Security Income benefits. Requires reports to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Authorizes condominium associations and planned community associations located in a zoning district that allows for transient vacation rentals to impose an impact fee on owners or members who use their units as transient vacation rentals. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Authorizes the Hawaiian Homes Commission to retain independent legal counsel, with any legal fees owed to be paid by the State, and also use the services of the Attorney General as needed. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Appropriates funds for the Executive Office on Early Learning to contract with third-party providers of family-child interaction learning programs. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
