Rep. Andrew Garrett

Maddy summaryHB 558 establishes a Nuclear Energy Task Force within Hawaii's State Energy Office to study nuclear energy's potential role in the state's energy future. The bill requires this task force to submit regular reports to the Hawaii Legislature. It directly affects the State Energy Office and the Legislature by creating a formal process for gathering and reviewing nuclear energy information. This procedural bill does not change energy policy but mandates structured analysis and reporting on nuclear energy.

Clarifies the requirements for the secure storage of firearms. Amends the offense of criminally negligent storage of a firearm to establish felony penalties for when a minor obtains an unsecured firearm and it results in injury or death.

Maddy summaryBased solely on the provided context, HB 52 is a "short form bill relating to higher education" with no substantive details about its content available. It was prefied on January 10, 2025, introduced on January 16, and referred to the Higher Education Division (HED) on January 21. The official abstract and summary provided do not specify any concrete policy changes, affected groups, or key provisions. Therefore, a meaningful summary of the bill's purpose or mechanisms cannot be generated from the current information.

Maddy summaryHB 183 would allow qualifying taxpayers who claim a dependent under 18 to receive an additional state Earned Income Tax Credit. This directly affects low-income individuals and families with children or other dependents under age 18. The bill's key provision adds a new credit amount specifically for households with qualifying young dependents. It does not change the existing base Earned Income Tax Credit structure for taxpayers without under-18 dependents.

Prohibits the smoking of cannabis and the smoking of cannabis for medical use, including via an electronic smoking device, in any area accessible by the public.

Repeals existing law that preempted local ordinances or regulations that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices and nullified and voided any conflicting local laws and regulations. Allows counties to adopt ordinances that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices that do not conflict with and are more stringent than the state law that govern smoking.

By 1/1/2027, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2028, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program.

Requires the employer to initiate negotiations on repricing of classes within a bargaining unit within thirty days of its receipt of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate. Establishes that the employer's failure to initiate the negotiation within the required time frame and the parties' failure to reach an agreement within one hundred fifty days of the exclusive representative's written request to negotiate or by January 31 of a year in which the collective bargaining agreement is due to expire, whichever is earlier, constitutes an impasse to which the impasse procedures shall apply, under certain conditions and limitations. Sunsets 6/30/2029. (CD1)

Requires the University of Hawaiʻi Water Resources Research Center and the Sea Grant College Program to develop an overlay with the Hawaiʻi Cesspool Prioritization Tool to identify specific priority areas in which the county sewer system or other centralized treatment system may most feasibly be expanded or constructed to reduce or eliminate cesspools before 1/1/2050. Makes an appropriation. (CD1)

Establishes a pre-litigation mediation procedure for tenancies that are subject to the eviction moratorium issued under the Governor's emergency proclamations relating to wildfires once the eviction moratorium expires. Restricts when landlord remedies are available depending on the amount of rent due. Appropriates funds to the Judiciary for mediation services. Effective 7/1/2024, except the new pre-litigation procedures are effective on the expiration of the final eviction moratorium. Repeals certain provisions on 12/31/2026, or on the one-year anniversary of the expiration of the Governor's final eviction moratorium emergency supplementary proclamation relating to wildfires, whichever occurs sooner. (CD1)