Rep. Daniel Holt

Permits the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to enter into contracts with eligible employers or registered apprenticeship programs in the private sector to provide on-the-job training to eligible interns. Establishes a state internship and workforce development program. Requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to collaborate with the Department of Human Resources Development for placement of interns in state executive branch departments, agencies, and programs. Provides that the State shall be the responsible employer for purposes of workers' compensation coverage for students or recent graduates in the on-the-job-training work experience program, subject to certain limitations. Appropriates funds. (CD1)

Prohibits landfill units on land in an agricultural district with class A soils in a county with a population greater than five hundred thousand. Beginning 7/1/2025, narrows the prohibition on constructing, modifying, or expanding waste or disposal facilities within a one-half mile buffer zone of residential, school, or hospital property lines to apply specifically to landfill units or components of landfill units. Beginning 7/1/2025, prohibits the construction, modification, or expansion of a landfill unit, or any component of a landfill unit, inland of an underground injection control line in a county with a population greater than five hundred thousand, with certain exemptions. (CD1)

Part I: Renames the Department of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (Department) and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Part II: Establishes a Deputy Chairperson for Biosecurity. Part III: Authorizes and specifies conditions under which the Department may declare a biosecurity emergency, during which the Department and Governor may take certain actions to prevent the establishment or spread of pests and prohibited or restricted organisms. Broadens the objectives and general actions of the Biosecurity Program. Part IV: Authorizes the Department to establish transitional facilities. Requires the Department to certify and train biosecurity compliance auditors to inspect imported plants and animals. Requires inspection of various items transported interisland. Increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms. Part V: Authorizes the Department to enter into government‑industry agreements for readiness and response to unwanted organisms in the State. Authorizes biosecurity and pest management plans to address, contain, or eradicate pests. Requires the Department to establish a pest dashboard by 12/1/2025. Part VI: Authorizes the Department to adopt rules to establish and enforce the Plant Care Component Program. Authorizes the Department to assess administrative penalties for the enforcement of the Plant Care Component Program. Part VII: Transfers the Hawaii Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department. Part VIII: Appropriates funds. (CD1)

Amends the definition of "registered for work" or "registration for work" under the Hawaii Employment Security Law. Repeals the requirement to post work availability online. Amends the qualifications for unemployed individuals who are able to receive certain unemployment benefits. Beginning 4/1/2027, permits electronic notification of determinations or redeterminations of unemployment claims. Repeals language that limited an individual's ability to change a previously elected withholding status to once during a benefit year. (SD2)

Transfers the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to the Department of Accounting and General Services. Renames the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office to Broadband Office. Repeals broadband duties assigned to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Repeals the Broadband Assistance Advisory Council. Transfers the duty of collecting and posting certain broadband infrastructure notices to the Broadband Office. Establishes the Broadband Revolving Fund. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. (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)

Appropriates funds to establish a position within the Department of Health to assist with the upgrade and conversion of cesspools and perform any other related responsibilities as designated by the Wastewater Branch of the Department of Health. (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.

Establishes and appropriates funds for fiscal year 2025-2026 for a three-year new wastewater system and individual wastewater system technology testing pilot program within the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center. Requires interim and final reports to the Legislature. (CD1)

Establishes the Mixed-Income Subaccount within the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, and sunsets the Subaccount on 6/30/2030. Requires the Transit-Oriented Development Infrastructure Improvement District Board to consider the infrastructure needs of transit-supportive density requirements. Requires the strategic plan developed by the Hawaii Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development to delineate transit-oriented development areas for each county. (CD1)