Rep. Cedric Gates

Establishes within the Department of Human Services a 4-year pilot program to provide housing and child care vouchers to qualified applicants who will soon complete, or have recently completed, a term of imprisonment as a sentenced offender, and who have or will have sole or primary custody of 1 or more children under the age of 18. Requires a voucher recipient to be employed at least 20 hours per week or be employed and attend an educational program for a combined total of at least 20 hours per week. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates moneys.

Establishes a shortage differential salary incentive program within the department of education to provide shortage differential pay for teachers working in special education, hard-to-staff locations, and Hawaiian immersion positions. Provides automatic step increases in teacher salaries for each year of satisfactory service completed by public school teachers. Increases the amount of time available to teachers for planning, preparation, and collaboration.

Prohibits commercial vehicles from making pickups from, or deliveries to, business establishments during certain times of the day and within a certain proximity of single-family residences in the performance of the vehicles' pickup or delivery. Establishes fines.

Allows for standard telephone contacts for telehealth purposes.

Includes e-liquid and electronic smoking devices within the definition of "tobacco products", as used in the cigarette tax and tobacco tax law. Establishes a tax of twenty per cent for the wholesale price for electronic smoking devices and 10 cents for each milliliter of e-liquid. Allocates a portion of funds collected on excise taxes on electronic smoking devices and e-liquids to the trauma system special fund, community health centers special fund, and emergency medical services special fund.

Requires the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation to establish the kauhale program to provide individual or shared micro housing units and services to homeless individuals and families who meet the definition of chronically homeless or are currently homeless. Requires reports to the legislature. Appropriates funds.

Prohibits the Department of Land and Natural Resources from approving any land disposition to the United States military that allows for or facilitates any military training activities on the subject lands. Requires that any lease or lease extension between the State and the US Department of Defense or branches of the US military include certain provisions, including an acknowledgement that the State retains authority over all environmental matters within its jurisdiction. Provides that violation of state or federal environmental law, or any law, rule, or order on a matter affecting the health and safety of the State's residents, shall be grounds for terminating the lease. Prohibits the State from leasing public lands to or extending the lease of the US Department of Defense or any branch of the US military if the department or branch is noncompliant with any environmental order, consent decree, or memoranda of agreement, or any law, rule, or order on a matter affecting residents' health and safety.

Appropriates $75,000,000 to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for infrastructure.

Establishes a 1-year pilot program within the Department of Human Services to provide a basic monthly income of $2,000 for up to 1 year, to qualified persons who are verified victims of sex trafficking, or who are female or sexual and gender minority individuals seeking to exit the sex trade. Requires the Department to keep confidential the personal information of applicants and program participants. Appropriates moneys. Requires report to the Legislature.

Requires that a disclaimer be provided by sellers or providers of emotional support animals or certificates, identifications, tags, vests, leashes, and harnesses for emotional support animals that the animal is not a service animal. Establishes penalties.