Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto

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)

Establishes the Tenant Protection Working Group within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to address certain tenant protection issues in the State. Requires the Tenant Protection Working Group to report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes a five-year pilot program to authorize the Department of Education to rehire retired teachers and educational officers for hard-to-staff positions. Sunsets 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (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.

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)

Maddy summaryThis bill requests the state auditor to evaluate the social and financial impacts of mandating health insurance coverage for prosthetic and orthotic devices, as proposed in House Bill 1536. The assessment will focus on how requiring insurance to cover these devices would affect Hawaii residents with limb loss, limb differences, or mobility impairments, particularly regarding access to activity-specific prostheses. The auditor must analyze costs, benefits, and potential changes to health outcomes, including secondary conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and consider federal Affordable Care Act requirements. The final report will be submitted to the legislature before the 2027 session to inform future policy decisions.

Establishes an income tax credit for automated external defibrillator devices that are installed and placed in service in certain places of public accommodation located in the State, subject to registration requirements. Authorizes the Department of Health to establish a statewide automated external defibrillator registry to collect and maintain certain information. Requires the owner or operator of an automated external defibrillator located in a place of public accommodation to conduct certain maintenance. Requires reporting of certain automated external defibrillator data to the Department of Health. Requires the Department of Health to coordinate with certain entities. Requires the Department of Health to request funds from the 911 Fund for the establishment and maintenance of the automated external defibrillator registry. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Prohibits the assessment of any fees, fines, or court costs against a person who was adjudicated for an offense committed during the person's minority, or against the person's parent or guardian, and discharges all related debt obligations assessed before the effective date of the Act. Encourages the use of community service and other programs that employ aina-based principles. Repeals certain penalties imposed on parents, guardians, or other persons associated with unaccompanied children in streets and unmarried minors in dance halls. (SD1)

Requires merchants that sell cosmetics to accept returns of new or unopened goods within specified timeframes. Clarifies the definition of "conspicuous sign" and expands required placement of return and refund policy signage. Beginning 7/1/2027, requires merchants that receive three or more warning letters from the Office of Consumer Protection of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for failure to post required signage to display standardized return and refund policy signs provided by the Office. Establishes exemptions for certain merchants. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas. For any multi-year contracts entered into or renewed beginning in fiscal year 2027-2028, requires the Department of Human Services to issue a Request for Information to determine whether any existing contract remains fiscally sound and thereafter determine, with the consent of the contractor, whether a new request for proposals should be issued. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)