Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto

Maddy summaryHB 869 expands the Hawaii Community College Promise Program to provide scholarships to all qualified students, removing prior restrictions. It directly affects eligible students attending Hawaii community colleges by making the scholarship available regardless of previous eligibility criteria. The bill's key provision broadens the program's scope while appropriating state funds to cover the expanded coverage. This change creates a concrete policy shift in scholarship access without specifying additional student qualifications.

Expands programming and training for the comprehensive offender reentry program under the department of corrections and rehabilitation to reduce the rate of recidivism and increase inmate marketability. Appropriates funds.

Adds psychology, physician assistant, marriage and family therapist, mental health counselor, clinical social worker, rehabilitation counselor, and school counselor students to the definition of "eligible student" under the qualifications for the healthcare preceptor tax credit. Amends the definition of "preceptor" by adding psychologists, physician assistants, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, clinical social workers, rehabilitation counselors, and school counselors to the list of preceptors eligible to receive the tax credit. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025.

Maddy summaryHB 887 requires human services providers (such as home care or childcare agencies) to pay workers the prevailing wage rate for similar work in their area. This means providers must pay standard local wages, not lower rates, for services like personal care or early childhood education. The bill directly affects agencies employing these workers by mandating fair compensation based on regional wage standards. It is a new legislative requirement currently pending introduction.

Requires and appropriates moneys for the Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the City and County of Honolulu, to assess and develop an improvement plan for emergency evacuation routes along the Waianae coast. Authorizes the Department to request input and assistance from the United States Navy. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Establishes a refundable Family Caregiver Tax Credit for nonpaid family caregivers. Requires the department of taxation to report to the legislature before the convening of each regular session.

Increases the buffer zone for restricted use pesticides around schools to one-half mile. Allows the use of restricted use pesticides within the buffer zone as part of invasive species control conducted by the Department of Agriculture or invasive species committees organized under the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit.

Maddy summaryHB 822 requires certain employers in the state to provide reproductive loss leave for their employees. This leave is specifically for employees experiencing pregnancy loss, such as miscarriage or stillbirth, and directly affects workers at covered employers. The bill establishes a new leave provision, mandating that eligible employers allow employees to take time off for this purpose without penalty or loss of benefits. The policy change focuses on creating a formal leave entitlement for reproductive loss events, separate from existing medical or family leave policies.

Maddy summaryHB 947 eliminates a specific tax deduction for real estate investment trusts (REITs), meaning these entities will no longer be able to subtract dividends paid to shareholders when calculating their taxable income. The bill directly affects REITs operating in the state, changing how they are taxed on their dividend distributions. This policy change takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, applying to all qualifying REITs moving forward. The key provision removes the existing deduction, altering REITs' tax calculation method without specifying new tax rates or additional requirements.

Exempts from the general excise tax amounts received by a nurse entrepreneur for health care-related goods and services purchased under Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE.