Rep. Tina Grandinetti

Requires the State's youth and adult correctional facilities to provide free and accessible voice communication services for incarcerated persons in state correctional facilities. Prohibits any state agency from deriving revenue or financial benefit from the provision of communication services to persons confined in state correctional facilities. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish service quality standards and rules for the free voice communication services. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Establishes the Hawaii State Fellows Program within the Department of Human Resources Development to match talented applicants with full-time, paid fellowship roles in various state agencies for a period of ten to eleven months. Establishes minimum qualifications and procedures for eligible applicants to apply to the program. Gives preference to eligible program applicants who have pre-existing ties to the State or a demonstrated commitment to long-term leadership in the State. Requires the Department of Human Resources Development, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to coordinate with state agencies to implement and promote the program. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Increases a taxpayer's applicable percentage of employment-related expenses that may be claimed for the household and dependent care services tax credit for five years. Repeals 6/30/2030.

Maddy summaryHB 308 increases the matching funds provided to candidates in Oregon's partial public financing program for election campaigns. Specifically, it boosts the rate at which public funds match qualifying contributions when candidates raise more than a set threshold (excess qualifying contributions). This directly affects candidates who participate in the program and meet the contribution requirements. The bill makes no changes to eligibility rules but enhances the financial support available for qualifying campaign contributions.

Maddy summaryHB 694 establishes a refundable child tax credit for families with children in the state. This means eligible families could receive money back from the state even if they owed no income tax, directly supporting households with children. The credit applies to tax returns filed for years starting after December 31, 2025. It creates a specific financial benefit tied to the number of qualifying children in a household.

Maddy summaryHB 767 extends the deadline for voters to correct minor errors on their ballots after an election. It changes the timeframe from 5 business days to 13 calendar days, giving voters more time to fix issues like missing signatures or incorrect addresses. This directly affects voters who submit ballots with minor mistakes, ensuring they have a longer window to correct them before the ballots are rejected. The bill focuses on adjusting the administrative process for ballot curing without altering voting eligibility or election procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 684 phases out the tip credit, requiring employers to pay the full minimum wage without counting tips toward that amount. This directly affects workers in tipped occupations, such as servers and bartenders, who will receive higher base pay instead of relying on tips to meet minimum wage requirements. The bill eliminates this credit gradually over a set timeframe, rather than immediately. As a result, tipped workers will earn the full minimum wage without depending on tip income to reach the wage floor.

Maddy summaryHB 148 protects individuals who make claims about sexual misconduct from defamation lawsuits, directly affecting people reporting such incidents. The bill establishes that these claims cannot be challenged as defamation unless the person making them acted with "malice" - meaning they knew the claim was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. This provision aims to reduce legal barriers for reporting sexual misconduct by shielding truthful or good-faith allegations. The law would apply to civil lawsuits seeking damages for defamation related to sexual misconduct claims.

Prohibits foreign entities from owning, leasing, or holding a controlling interest in more than an unspecified number of acres of agricultural land. Limits the lease term for agricultural land by foreign entities. Requires foreign entities that own or lease interest in agricultural lands to file an annual report with the Department of Agriculture. Appropriates funds.

Establishes a pilot program in the Department of Health to provide intensive mobile treatment-type services, e.g., "street psychiatry", to chronically houseless adult individuals suffering from serious brain disorders like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.