Rep. Kanani Souza

Authorizes the Department of Education to subsidize all tuition and mandatory fees for a resident student enrolled in a 4-year college campus of the University of Hawaii System with an education program or that offers an education degree for the semester or term that the student enrolls in a State-Approved Teacher Education Program under certain conditions. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD2)

Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to establish a five-year Community Land Trust Equity Pilot Program to provide community land trusts with a line of credit to fund the acquisition, rehabilitation, renovation, or construction of housing for certain households. Requires reports to the Legislature regarding the pilot program. Appropriates funds from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for establishment of the pilot program. Sunsets the pilot program on 6/30/2030. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Requires the State Public Charter School Commission to submit an annual report on public charter schools before the opening day of each Regular Session of the Legislature. Requires the Board of Education to review and approve the annual report before the report is issued to the Governor, Legislature, and the public. Takes effect 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Authorizes the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to transmit all expungement orders to the Judiciary to effectuate the purposes of Act 159, SLH 2023. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHCR 8 is a non-binding resolution from the Hawaii State Legislature urging the U.S. Department of Justice to include Hawaii in its Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program. It highlights that Hawaii has the eighth-highest missing persons rate per capita (7.5 per 100,000 residents) and that a disproportionate number of missing persons are Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders. If adopted, the program would provide dedicated federal resources to address missing and murdered indigenous persons cases in Hawaii through regional coordinators and prosecutors. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests the DOJ expand its existing program to include Hawaii.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 8) urges the U.S. Department of Justice to add Hawaii to its Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program. It directly affects Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Hawaii, who face disproportionately high rates of missing persons (7.5 per 100,000 residents, the 8th highest in the nation). The resolution cites the DOJ’s existing program in states like Arizona and New Mexico - which assigns dedicated staff to address MMIP cases - and requests similar federal resources for Hawaii. The resolution is a formal request, not a binding law, and does not create new funding or legal requirements.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution requests that health insurers and managed care providers in Hawaii cover prosthetic and orthotic devices for residents with limb loss or mobility impairments. It specifically aims to address barriers faced by over 18,000 Hawaii residents who currently lack access to activity-specific devices (like those for running or swimming) due to restrictive insurance policies. The resolution asks insurers to provide this coverage to reduce preventable health issues like diabetes and obesity, which disproportionately affect people with disabilities. It is a non-binding request, not a law, and directs copies to major insurance providers and the Insurance Commissioner for consideration.

Amends the definition of "child abuse or neglect" to clarify that the failure to provide certain needs to a child shall not constitute child abuse or neglect if the sole reason the person responsible for the care of the child is unable to adequately provide for the child's care is lack of financial resources; and evidence of parental request for support shall not be deemed as evidence of child abuse and neglect. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 134) urges Hawaii's Sister-State Committee to evaluate and develop recommendations for establishing a formal sister-state relationship between Hawaii and New Zealand. It focuses on strengthening cooperation in economic development, arts/cultural exchange, education, and environmental sustainability, building on shared Polynesian heritage and mutual commitments to indigenous cultures and sustainability. The resolution does not create new laws but requests the committee assess potential collaboration areas and advises the Governor to implement the relationship if recommended. It directly affects Hawaii's state agencies and the Sister-State Committee, encouraging future partnerships with New Zealand.

Maddy summaryHCR 207 is a non-binding resolution urging Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to conduct a comprehensive economic analysis of military-leased lands within the state's public land trust. It requires DLNR to assess lost economic opportunities (like agriculture or housing), cleanup costs for environmental damage, restoration expenses, fair market rent value (currently $1 per year), and lost tax revenue from these lands. The resolution also mandates a public process for lease negotiations and a report to the legislature by early 2026, before key military leases expire in 2029. This affects DLNR's management of over 200,000 acres leased to the military at sites including Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks.