Imposes a cap on charges for searching for, reviewing, and segregating government records under the Uniform Information Practices Act. Provides for a waiver of fees in certain circumstances when the public interest is served by a government record's disclosure.
Rep. Lisa Kitagawa
Sponsored bills
Expands the scopes of practice for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists employed by or contracted with the Department of Education to diagnose students with a medical condition in an educational setting and treat the students. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Requires the Department of Health to post on its website an easily understandable, searchable, and sortable list of all state-licensed care facilities including information on their licenses and inspections. Requires that the list be updated within five days of any change in its information.
Maddy summaryHB 444 removes the requirement that a person committing certain crimes must know or reasonably should know the victim is 60 years or older. This change directly affects seniors aged 60+ by making it easier to prosecute crimes against them, regardless of whether the perpetrator knew the victim's age. The bill modifies the legal standard for specific offenses, shifting the focus from the perpetrator's knowledge to the victim's age alone. It does not create new penalties but adjusts how existing crimes are evaluated when seniors are victims. The bill is currently pending in the 2026 legislative session.
Maddy summaryHB 507 allocates state funds to create a pilot program offering grants to homeowners for upgrading outdated cesspool systems. The program targets properties in specific areas to help meet environmental compliance standards, directly affecting homeowners with cesspools who may face replacement requirements. This is a temporary test project, not a permanent law, and will be evaluated after implementation to inform future policy.
Establishes an exemption from applicable county permit requirements for repetitive construction projects for facilities under the control of any state department or agency, under certain conditions. Clarifies that, except for projects in special flood hazard areas, contracts for the construction, renovation, or repair of facilities under the control of the Department of Education, University of Hawaii, or School Facilities Authority shall be exempt from county permitting requirements that related off-site improvements be made by the contracting government agency as a condition to the issuance of any permit. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
Authorizes the Department of Education to establish a program to award high school diplomas to persons who did not receive a diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into the armed services and persons whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Maddy summaryHB 627 allocates funds to the Department of Education to hire staff positions focused on implementing and maintaining school safety measures. It directly affects public schools by providing resources to enhance safety protocols through dedicated personnel. The bill’s key provision is the appropriation of funding specifically for these safety-related roles, rather than altering existing safety standards. The measure is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 3000 (note: likely a typo for 2030, per standard legislative dates).
Appropriates funds for the Native Resources and Fire Protection Program and Hawaii Invasive Species Council to ensure their long-term viability and continue to control and eradicate invasive species in the State. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
By 1/1/2028, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2029, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)