Establishes the Hawaii Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. Requires an action plan and reports to the Governor and Legislature by certain dates. Establishes positions. Authorizes the hiring of consultants to assist the advisory council. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Maddy summaryHB 146 appropriates funds to the Hawai'i Judiciary to support its 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Initiatives, which promote the use of the Hawaiian language in court settings. The bill provides specific funding for these programs, directly affecting the Judiciary's operations and language accessibility services. It does not change existing laws but allocates resources to advance the Judiciary's existing language preservation efforts, effective July 1, 2030. (Note: The abstract's "7/1/3000" appears to be a typo; the intended effective date is 2030.)
Continues a licensing scheme for licensed certified midwives and licensed certified professional midwives, to be overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Reestablishes the home birth task force to provide recommendations on issues related to home births. Dissolves the task force on 6/30/2026. Requires reports to the Legislature.
Authorizes the Hawaiian Homes Commission to retain independent legal counsel, with any legal fees owed to be paid by the State, and also use the services of the Attorney General as needed. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Amends the definition of "historic property" under the State's historic preservation program to include properties included on, or eligible for inclusion on, the national register of historic places or Hawaii register of historic places and any artifacts, records, or material remains relating to the property. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Maddy summaryHB 147 increases the amount of real property value protected from being seized (attached or executed) when a homeowner owes money to creditors. This directly affects homeowners facing debt collection, particularly those with modest property values, by shielding more of their home equity. The key provision raises the exemption threshold, meaning creditors cannot claim as much of the home's value when collecting debts. This change aims to prevent the loss of primary residences due to financial hardship.
Requires the Department of Education's existing Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) working group to create a state plan to make completion of the FAFSA or an opt-out waiver a statewide graduation requirement by the 2027-2028 school year. Requires a report to the 2026 legislature.
Maddy summaryHB 1502 requires property and casualty insurers to establish specific pre- and post-disaster protections in their policies, directly affecting homeowners and businesses with property insurance. The bill mandates new requirements for insurers regarding coverage availability before disasters and claims handling after events like floods or wildfires. It aims to standardize disaster-related policy terms but is still pending committee review (PBS committee recommended deferral for February 5, 2025). The bill’s effective date of July 1, 3000, appears to be a typographical error, as this date is far in the future.
Redefines "historic property" with respect to the State Historic Preservation Program. Deletes the requirement for an application for a proposed project on an existing privately-owned single-family detached dwelling unit to have a historic preservation review if the unit or townhouse is over fifty years old.
Requires the counties to adopt ordinances setting forth procedures and requirements for the review and permitting of agricultural tourism uses and activities as secondary uses, in addition to accessory uses, on a working farm or farming operation. Requires the counties' ordinances to include requirements that: the principal agricultural use on a working farm or farming operation preexists the issuance of any land use permit or building permit for any accessory and secondary use and agricultural tourism be allowed only on land on which productive agricultural use is occurring. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
