Rep. Sam Kong

Requires the Chief Data Officer to enhance the State's open data portal website through the phased development and publishing of an artificial intelligence chatbot and necessary data visualizations on statewide shared data sets to assist the public. Requires the Chief Data Officer to develop a system to evaluate and select artificial intelligence governance tools for use by state departments and agencies and establish a mechanism for reporting and publication of artificial intelligence use cases and artificial intelligence vendors used by the departments and agencies. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2077. (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 establishment of a biological aquatic risk-based framework for assessment and approval of aquatic livestock importation and movement. Authorizes the Division of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to adopt rules implementing species risk categorization, tiered biocontainment standards, per-arrival disease testing, and interagency coordination procedures. Establishes an interagency working group. Requires development of species-specific risk matrices, interagency working group coordination with automatic permit approval timelines, and performance accountability. Establishes an implementation timeline. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Maddy summaryHB 2534 would appropriate state funds to the Department of Education to establish robotics as an official interscholastic sport for public high schools. If passed, it would allow schools to form competitive robotics teams under state guidelines, with the Department developing program rules by July 1, 3000. The bill directly affects public high school students and athletic programs by creating a new competitive category. It is currently pending in the Education Committee after passing committee recommendations with amendments.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Concurrent Resolution that urges the U.S. Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, limited to proposing amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit federal power and jurisdiction, and restrict terms of office for federal officials and members of Congress. The resolution applies on behalf of the State of Hawaii and includes specific conditions, such as reserving the right for states to recall delegates if they breach instructions and explicitly excluding any amendments that would change the Bill of Rights. It also states that Congress should only call the convention after receiving applications from two-thirds of state legislatures and should not set rules for the convention or determine delegate numbers. The bill does not change any laws or policies directly but serves as a formal request to the federal government to initiate a process for potential constitutional amendments.

Requires the Governor or mayor of a county, during a state of emergency, to provide an American Sign Language interpreter at each live broadcast press conference. Requires the Governor or mayor of a county to provide a primary pool feed for any live official announcement that includes an American Sign Language interpreter in a picture-in-picture window, and does not require broadcasters that rebroadcast the official announcement to independently generate or insert this accessibility feature. Requires, to the fullest extent possible, that the American Sign Language interpreter's face, body, arms, and hands are visible. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Maddy summaryHB 9 designates Hawaii as a "Purple Heart State" through a symbolic legislative declaration. This procedural bill does not create new policies, funding, or direct benefits; it solely recognizes Hawaii's connection to military service through official state designation. The bill’s key mechanism is the formal adoption of this title in state law, aligning with the Purple Heart military decoration's purpose. No specific groups or programs are affected by this ceremonial designation.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for the Military and Community Relations Office to strengthen intergovernmental coordination for military and defense activities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Excludes from the offense of unlawful shipment of tobacco products the direct sale of large cigars and pipe tobacco to adult consumers for personal use. Effective 1/1/2027.

Requires any person applying to the Department of Health to contract or extend or renew a contract to operate certain residential treatment programs to, as a condition of the contract, obtain and maintain a general liability insurance policy with a certain minimum coverage amount; submit to the Department for review and approval a community safety action plan; and provide to the community association or neighborhood board in the community in which the program will operate a written notice of the program's establishment and location and the community safety action plan.