Rep. Garner Shimizu

Amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, as amended, to authorize the transfer of a living beneficiary's place on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' waitlist for any residential, agricultural, or pastoral tract to a qualified application successor who is at least one-fourth Hawaiian, if the beneficiary dies. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to utilize student education partnerships to increase the amount of mental health care providers in correctional facilities across the State. Appropriates funds.

Requires counties to grant building permits within sixty days if the application is stamped and certified by a licensed engineer and architect and other certain conditions are met.

Exempts food and groceries from the general excise tax. Expands a 2024 session law exempting certain medical and dental services to include all medical and dental services.

Requires the department of education to equip all classroom doors with interior locks, maintain a public address system, feature an emergency access route, and maintain fire alarms. Mandates the establishment of school emergency plans. Requires schools conduct regular testing and emergency preparedness drills. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summaryHB 1443 establishes a high school law enforcement curriculum-to-career pipeline program, directly affecting high school students and local law enforcement agencies. The bill allocates state funds to develop and implement a structured curriculum that connects classroom learning with career opportunities in law enforcement. Key provisions include creating standardized training modules for students and partnerships with law enforcement agencies to facilitate internships and job placement. This program aims to provide students with practical skills and pathways into public safety careers through targeted educational programming. The bill was introduced on January 23, 2025, and referred to relevant committees for further review.

Maddy summaryHB 1441 creates a new criminal offense for "organized retail theft," defined as coordinated thefts involving multiple people or large-scale operations targeting retail businesses. It establishes specific penalties for this offense, including potential fines and imprisonment. The bill also mandates the creation of an organized retail theft task force to investigate and address such incidents. This legislation directly affects retail businesses, law enforcement agencies, and individuals committing organized theft. The task force will coordinate efforts between state and local authorities to tackle this specific type of crime.

Prohibits the State and counties from adopting or ordaining any rules, regulations, or ordinances that infringe upon a parent's right to direct the upbringing, education, care, and welfare of the parent's child, except in certain narrowly tailored circumstances.

Maddy summaryHB 1340 makes it a more serious offense to commit any crime against a person aged 60 or older, regardless of the perpetrator's intent. The bill establishes "strict liability," meaning the crime is automatically treated as aggravated solely because the victim was elderly. This directly affects older adults (60+) who are victims of crimes and the individuals who commit those crimes. The bill is newly introduced (first reading on January 23, 2025) and currently referred to committees for review.

Establishes civil liability for any commercial entity that knowingly or intentionally publishes or distributes materially harmful to minors without following certain age verification requirements.