Rep. Adrian Tam

Prohibits the use of certain words and misleading Hawaiian imagery, place names, and motifs on the label of a consumer package that contains or includes tea or dried leaves from the plant Pipturus albidus, unless 100 per cent of the tea or dried leaves were cultivated, harvested, and dried in the State. Appropriates funds for a Measurement Standards Inspector position. (CD1)

Permanently establishes the Women's Court Program in the First Circuit. Establishes a temporary two-year Women's Court Pilot Program within the Kona division of the Third Circuit. Requires reports. Establishes a temporary position. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2027. (CD1)

Permanently establishes and appropriates funds to the Department of Law Enforcement, Office of the Public Defender, and City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Community Outreach Court as a division of the District Court of the First Circuit. (CD1)

Establish a safe routes to school program vehicle registration surcharge on certain motor vehicle registrations to be imposed and collected no later than 12/31/2025. Prohibits the use of facial recognition software in the operation of any photo red light imaging detector systems or automated speed enforcement systems. Clarifies the citations and summons procedures for the Automated Speed Enforcement Detector Systems Program. (CD1)

Establishes a working group within the Hawaii State Energy Office to examine how to maximize the recycling and reuse of electric vehicle batteries and recommend electric vehicle battery management practices. Requires a report to the Legislature. (CD1)

Expands the Preschool Open Doors Program's eligibility criteria. Repeals the requirement that Preschool Open Doors Program providers be accredited. Effective 1/1/2026. (CD1)

Specifies for a county with a population of more than two hundred thousand but less than five hundred thousand, that the State or county may repair or maintain any street of which the ownership or jurisdiction is in dispute between the State and county. Specifies that the State or county that repaired or maintained the street may only be held liable for acts or omissions arising out of the repair or maintenance of that street that the State or county performed at any time. Deems that repair or maintenance of a street shall not confer ownership or jurisdiction over such street if the ownership or jurisdiction over the street is in dispute between the State and the county. Sunsets 7/1/2030. (CD1)

Maddy summaryHB 505 establishes a dedicated WAI Policy Coordinator to manage Red Hill-related initiatives and creates a Red Hill Remediation Special Fund to finance cleanup efforts. The bill directly affects Red Hill remediation projects by providing a centralized role for coordination and a dedicated funding source. Key provisions include appointing the coordinator to oversee initiatives and directing the special fund to support remediation activities without specifying project details. The bill is currently under review by the committee with a recommendation to pass.

Specifies that an engineering study is not required to be considered when reducing the maximum speed limit within ten miles per hour of the current speed limit for that road. Requires the Department of Transportation or a county, to the extent practicable, to consider National Association of City Transportation Officials guidance when setting a maximum speed limit for sections of highways with residential or commercial areas or schools immediately on a highway. (CD1)

Maddy summaryHB 713 allocates funds for Hawaii's Department of Human Services to study Medicaid home health service payment rates. This bill directly affects home health providers who receive Medicaid reimbursement in Hawaii by authorizing a rate study to determine appropriate payment levels. The key mechanism is a formal study process to assess current rates against costs and service needs. The bill does not change existing rates but sets the stage for potential future adjustments based on the study's findings. (3 sentences)