Rep. Darius Kila

Requires the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to notify an injured employee or their dependents of benefits to which they may be entitled. Specifies notification requirements. Authorizes the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide information regarding nonstatutory programs and benefits offered to injured employees and their families by nonprofit organizations.

Requires insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the cost of prosthetic devices, including activity-specific prostheses, and orthotic devices for policies, contracts, plans, and agreements issued or renewed on or after 1/1/2027. Establishes an unspecified minimum yearly benefit for prosthetic devices and orthotic devices.

Requires quarterly rather than annual reporting of all use of restricted use pesticides. Amends the contents of reports to include specific geospatial data and information and increased detail on the amount of restricted use pesticides used. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to develop an online reporting tool for restricted use pesticides. Appropriates funds.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and enforce vegetation management requirements to prevent wildfires caused by electric utilities.

Lowers the blood alcohol content threshold for driving while under the influence of alcohol from .08 to .05 or more grams of alcohol to reduce impaired driving and fatal crashes.

Requires the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to establish a nutrition and metabolic health curriculum for medical students at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1534 allows actively practicing advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to claim exemption from jury duty service. The bill directly affects APRNs who are currently working in their field, removing a requirement to serve on juries. Key provision: APRNs can formally request exemption by providing proof of active practice, streamlining their ability to avoid jury service without needing individual court approval. This changes the standard requirement for all eligible citizens to serve, specifically targeting APRNs due to their critical healthcare roles.

Part I: Extends the Zero Emissions Clean Economy Target from 2045 to 2050. Part II: Maintains the existing Zero Emissions Clean Economy Target but exempts the Department of Transportation and transportation systems and services from the target.

Requires that an environmental assessment be conducted and an environmental impact statement be prepared for any proposed use within historic properties considered significant or recognized as a traditional cultural property.

Establishes restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence, algorithms, or other software tools for purposes of decision-making in health insurance utilization reviews. Requires a licensed health care provider to review all adverse actions by the health carrier.