Rep. Lauren Matsumoto

Declares feral chickens on public lands as a public nuisance and controllable pest in a city with a population of three hundred thousand or more. Prohibits supporting feral chickens on public lands, including by feeding chickens. Prohibits the abandonment of chickens on public lands or on private property without consent. Establishes fines and authorized enforcing agencies. Appropriates funds for the receipt, handling, and humane disposition of feral chickens that have already been caught. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Authorizes counties to amend district boundaries involving land areas of greater than fifteen but no more than twenty-five acres for purposes of residential housing, agricultural workforce housing, long-term rental housing, or workforce fee simple ownership. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Maddy summaryHB 1742 authorizes the construction and occupancy of self-contained temporary housing units (like modular or portable homes with basic living facilities), directly affecting housing developers, property owners, and residents seeking such housing. The bill establishes a legal framework for these units but includes unspecified restrictions on their use, location, or design. It does not specify additional requirements like safety standards or tenant protections, focusing solely on permitting the units' existence. This is a substantive housing policy change, not a procedural measure.

Maddy summaryHB 1799 allows counties to include commercial development projects within their existing authority to test and demonstrate new initiatives. It directly affects counties by expanding their ability to experiment with commercial ventures as part of local pilot programs. The key provision amends current law to explicitly permit counties to develop commercial projects under their experimental authority, rather than requiring separate approvals. This change streamlines how counties can pursue economic development through pilot programs without additional legislative steps. The bill passed committee with all members voting in favor on February 6, 2026.

Requires the development of transit-supportive densities to be allowed in any county-designated transit-oriented development area. Prohibits the counties from enacting an ordinance, rule, regulation, development standard, zoning provision, or other land use control that restricts the development of transit-supportive densities. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution urges the Governor of Hawaii to reconsider the decision to exclude the state from the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit Program, which would allow families to use federal tax credits to fund scholarships for private school tuition and education services. The program, set to begin in 2027, is funded through private donations and federal tax incentives rather than state money, and it is available only to states that opt in. Currently, 23 states have chosen to participate, while Hawaii has not, meaning local families would miss out on additional funding opportunities for education choice options. The resolution highlights that Hawaii's current proficiency rates in reading and math are low, suggesting that participating could provide more financial resources to support students.

Maddy summaryThis bill urges the Governor of Hawaii to reconsider the decision not to allow the state to participate in the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit Program. The program would provide federal tax credits of up to $1,700 for donations to scholarship organizations, which could then be used to fund scholarships for K-12 students from low- and middle-income households. By opting in, Hawaii would enable families to use these funds for private school tuition, tutoring, and other educational support services without reducing public school funding. The resolution requests that the state designate local scholarship organizations to receive donations, thereby expanding educational options for Hawaii students.

Maddy summaryThis bill requests Hawaii's congressional delegation to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explain why school lunch nutrition standards have not been updated to match the latest Dietary Guidelines. It directly affects Hawaii public schools, which rely on federal guidelines to plan menus and meet state goals for sourcing 30% of food locally by 2030. The resolution highlights concerns that delays in updating standards have made it difficult for schools to develop compliant meal plans and progress toward local food procurement targets. The bill asks federal officials to provide clearer information about upcoming changes to the nutrition standards that will impact school food programs.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution asks Hawaii's members of Congress to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explain why it has delayed updating school lunch nutrition rules to match the latest dietary guidelines. The bill directly affects Hawaii public schools, which rely on these federal standards to plan menus and meet local goals for sourcing 30% of food from Hawaii by 2030. It highlights that current delays make it difficult for schools to plan meals and that only 5.43% of school food spending went to local products in 2024, far below the state's target. The resolution requests that federal officials provide more information about upcoming changes and address the gap between released dietary guidelines and updated school nutrition standards.

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.