Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules for the regulation of farm kitchens producing homemade food products that are no more stringent than those for home kitchens producing homemade food products. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
Establishes a working group within the Judiciary to improve family court processes, including access to legal representation for youth in the child welfare system. Appropriates funds for the working group. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
Declares that the State is an ocean cluster. Establishes the Office of Marine Affairs within the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation for administrative purposes only. Establishes and appropriates funds for the Marine Affairs Coordinator position. Requires the Marine Affairs Coordinator to submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. Transfers the functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs. Appropriates funds for the Office of Marine Affairs to procure the services of a consultant to support the marine affairs declaration of intent. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)
Establishes the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to be administered by the Department of Education to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers. Appropriates funds out of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund. Effective 7/31/2055. (SD1)
Provides certain liability protections for nonprofit child welfare service organizations that are under contract with the Department of Human Services to provide child welfare services to children and families. Prohibits contracts between nonprofit child welfare service organizations and the State from including indemnification and hold harmless provisions and from requiring either party to name the other as an additional insured in their respective liability insurance policies. Prohibits pre- and post-judgment interest and punitive damages for nonprofit child welfare service organizations. Requires actions against nonprofit child welfare service organizations to be tried by the court, except in certain circumstances. Removes joint and several liability for nonprofit child welfare service organizations. Specifies that no bond shall be required from a nonprofit child welfare service organization on appeal. Effective 1/30/2050. (SD1)
Part I: Allows counties to use time-stamped screenshots as evidence for the enforcement of transient accommodations. Requires the Hawaii Tourism Authority's plans, practices, and efforts involving destination management to include promotion of use of traditional or lawful transient accommodations. Clarifies that the counties may use revenue from the County Transient Accommodations Tax for the enforcement of transient accommodations. Appropriates funds. Part II: Requires hosting platforms that earn service fees for providing booking services for transient accommodations to register with the Department of Taxation as tax collection agents and report, collect, and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes on behalf of operators. Part II effective 1/1/2027. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)
Maddy summaryHB 2159 funds health care workforce development programs at the University of Hawaii. It appropriates state funds to establish new positions within the university focused on training and supporting health care workers. This bill directly affects the University of Hawaii's ability to expand its health care workforce initiatives. The key provision is the allocation of dedicated funding to create these new roles, aiming to strengthen Hawaii's health care workforce pipeline.
Expands the purposes of the establishment and operation of out-of-state offices to include collaboration with tourism agencies and stakeholders to execute tourism strategies. Requires, and appropriates funds for, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish out‑of-state offices in Seoul, Republic of Korea and Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Republic of the Philippines. Appropriates funds for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's Beijing and Taipei offices to promote "Made in Hawaii" branded products and increase the export of Hawaii products. Effective 7/1/3050. (SD1)
Requires the Office of Youth Services to establish a five-year Youth Housing Stability Assistance Pilot Program to enter into contracts with nonprofit organizations or execute memoranda of agreement with government agencies to support eligible youth with financial assistance. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. Sunsets 6/30/2031. (SD1)
Transfers the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Transfers certain authority and responsibilities held by the Comptroller regarding the Works of Art Special Fund to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Appropriates funds for positions within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Effective 1/1/3000. (SD1)
