Rep. Diamond Garcia

Maddy summaryHB 2391 creates a temporary sales tax exemption for school supplies, meaning businesses selling these items would not collect the usual general excise tax during the holiday period. This directly affects consumers purchasing school supplies and the businesses selling them, as the bill requires retailers to pass any tax savings directly to shoppers. The key provision is a time-limited tax holiday where the state waives the sales tax on qualifying items, but businesses must lower prices for customers rather than keeping the savings. The policy aims to reduce costs for families buying school essentials during the holiday period. (Note: This is a policy change, not a procedural bill.)

Appropriates funds to: (1) the counties for more voter service centers for in-person voting; (2) the Office of Elections to print and mail the digital voter information guide to all registered voters; and (3) the Office of Elections to support a public outreach and engagement campaign to encourage greater voter participation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Increases the number of enterprise zones that may be nominated by each county. Amends the definition of "eligible business activity" to include recycling facilities and film production or operation of a Film Studio. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Increases the number of enterprise zones that may be nominated by each county. Authorizes enterprise zone designation for census tracts that contain the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Allow businesses not established in an enterprise zone to qualify for enterprise zone benefits; provided that they have entered into a binding collaboration or contract with a business that is established in the census tract that contains the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine or the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Protects emergency responders from liability during periods of evacuation. Provides that individuals who wilfully fail to comply with predictive evacuation orders assume the risk and waive liability. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Prohibits residing in, on, or within fifty feet of a freshwater waterway. Authorizes law enforcement officers to enforce the prohibition. Specifies that violation is a civil violation, not a criminal offense. Establishes procedures for the removal, inventory, storage, and disposal of unattended personal property. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 2362 requires counties to automatically approve building permits for hurricane retrofitting projects when specific safety and structural conditions are met. This directly affects homeowners seeking to strengthen their properties against storms and county permitting offices responsible for processing applications. The key provision eliminates discretionary review for eligible retrofitting work, streamlining approvals to accelerate safety upgrades. The bill aims to reduce delays in making homes more resilient to hurricane damage without altering building codes or adding new requirements.

Establishes a Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program to incentivize public charter school teachers who achieve national board certification under the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Requires that incentives paid to public charter school teachers under the Teacher National Board Certification Incentive Program established for public charter school teachers and other teacher differentials be paid from funds appropriated to the State Public Charter School Commission, instead of the per-pupil allocation. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to make certain contact information for newly registered entities available online. Requires the Director to transmit the contact information to the Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity a three-year Subsistence-Plus Gardening Pilot Program. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)