Rep. Matthew S. LoPresti

Establishes Employment First as a state policy for persons with disabilities. Requires state and county agencies to implement Employment First in hiring and in all programs and services administered or funded by the State or counties. Applies Employment First principles to Medicaid home- and community-based waiver programs.

Provides that intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to any owner, employee, or agent of a retail mercantile establishment who is engaged in enforcing a governmental health or safety requirement relating to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is a class C felony.

Establishes a general excise tax exemption for the gross proceeds or income from the sale of groceries that are eligible under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), regardless of the means of purchase and the SNAP or WIC eligibility of the purchaser. Establishes a general excise tax exemption for the gross proceeds or income from the sale of nonprescription drugs. Effective 1/1/2023.

Includes best practice destination management and regenerative tourism under the scope and responsibilities of the Hawaii tourism authority. Requires the Hawaii tourism authority to develop a tourism management plan that includes tourism marketing, best practice destination management, and regenerative tourism.

Extends the Ohana Zones Pilot Program to 2026 to reduce homelessness by placing individuals into permanent housing, expanding housing, and preserving existing housing. Appropriates moneys.

Creates a new classification of temporary teacher so that long-term substitute teachers are compensated for a full eight-hour work day of teaching and the additional necessary tasks associated with long-term substitute teaching positions. Compensates temporary teachers for designated state holidays and intersessions. Appropriates funds.

Establishes a regenerative tourism framework under the Hawaii state planning act for the State's visitor industry that advances environmental sustainability, ecological sensitivity, Hawaiian cultural preservation, and the economic security of Hawaii's people.

Establishes an environmental surcharge on visitor accommodations. Establishes the green tourism special fund, to be funded largely by the environmental surcharge, to invest in the State's transition to a clean energy economy, conservation of natural resources, and sustainability and resiliency.

When identifying a replacement vehicle or cash settlement value, requires an insurer to take into consideration costs of shipping the vehicle and the insured's travel for pre-purchase inspection of the replacement vehicle, if not on the same island, and, if the insured vehicle is an electric vehicle, the remaining battery life and capacity of the vehicle's primary battery, known as the traction battery pack, which shall have equal or greater weight than mileage on the vehicle.

Requires all facilities that provide mental health treatment to provide one-on-one suicide counseling services to patients who have attempted or threatened suicide. Specifies the health care providers who may provide suicide counseling services.