Rep. Lisa Marten

Maddy summaryHCR 111 is a resolution urging Hawaii's Department of Education (DOE) to provide a detailed report to the Legislature on the true costs of producing school meals. It requires the DOE to break down costs (including ingredients, operations, beverages, supplies, and logistics) and include meal count data by price tier (full-price, reduced-price, free) for the 2024-2025 through 2026-2027 school years. The resolution aims to ensure transparency around proposed meal price increases (e.g., from $2.50 to $4.75 for K-8) and prevent unnecessary hikes by verifying cost claims against existing law requiring meal revenue to cover at least half of production costs. The report must be submitted to the Legislature by January 2026.

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 summaryHR 24 requests the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to add a new acknowledgment section to the existing Plant and Animal Declaration Form, which travelers must complete when arriving in Hawaii with plants or animals. This section would require travelers to affirm they are aware of laws protecting Native Hawaiian cultural sites, burial grounds, places of worship, and wildlife conservation regulations. The bill does not create new laws or penalties but aims to inform travelers about existing protections through a form they already complete. It directly affects all passengers, crew, and officers required to submit the declaration form upon entering Hawaii. The resolution specifies the acknowledgment must cover awareness of relevant federal, state, and county laws governing cultural sites and wildlife.

Maddy summaryHCR 187 is a non-binding resolution urging Hawaii's governor to prepare a contingency plan if federal Medicaid funding is reduced. It specifically addresses potential impacts on Hawaii's Med-QUEST program, which covers about 20% of residents and serves vulnerable groups like children, seniors, and low-income individuals. The resolution highlights that federal funding covers 73% of Hawaii's $3 billion annual Medicaid spending and notes that proposed federal cuts could require $3.2 billion in annual state funding to maintain coverage or lead to 156,000 residents losing Medicaid benefits. As a procedural resolution, it does not change policy but seeks to prompt state-level planning for a hypothetical funding scenario.

Maddy summaryHR 30 is a House Resolution requesting the University of Hawaii to explore establishing an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and identify requirements for securing federal funding from the National Institute on Aging. The resolution directs the university to assess its current research capabilities, evaluate potential benefits, and outline steps to meet federal grant criteria, with a report due by December 31, 2025. This procedural request does not create a new program but seeks feasibility analysis for potential future research infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 81) urges Hawaii's Department of Education to establish an annual Climate Week in all public schools statewide. It aims to directly affect students by promoting climate awareness, education, and participation in environmental projects through school-based activities. The resolution proposes collaborating with environmental organizations to develop interactive, student-led sustainability initiatives during this designated week. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but encourages existing educational programs to integrate climate action.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 140) requests Hawaii's Department of Human Services (DHS) to apply for and implement the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) for SNAP benefits. It directly affects low-income seniors aged 60+ without earned income, aiming to simplify their access to food assistance by waiving in-person interviews, extending benefit certification to 36 months, and allowing flexible verification. The resolution asks DHS to seek federal approvals and update its rules to adopt ESAP, which is designed to reduce barriers to SNAP enrollment for seniors. Hawaii currently does not participate in ESAP despite SNAP supporting over 130,000 residents and contributing $630 million annually to the state economy.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution urges the University of Hawaii (UH) to create a program specifically addressing housing instability among students, directly affecting UH students facing homelessness or housing insecurity (as noted in a 2020 Hope Center study showing 14% experienced homelessness). It requests UH use findings from its current 2025 survey on student basic needs insecurity to develop this program, strengthen mental health services, and improve awareness of available resources. The resolution is non-binding and serves as a formal request to UH leadership, not a legislative mandate.

Maddy summaryHCR 31 is a concurrent resolution requesting the University of Hawaii to assess the feasibility of establishing an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. It directs the university to evaluate its current research capabilities, potential benefits for Hawaii, and the specific requirements to secure federal funding from the National Institute on Aging. The resolution requires the university to develop a phased plan, including infrastructure needs and community engagement, and submit a report by December 31, 2025. This resolution does not create the center but asks the university to explore steps toward one, directly affecting the University of Hawaii System and its research planning.

Maddy summaryHCR 103 is a non-binding resolution urging Hawaii's counties to adopt local zoning rules requiring agricultural landowners to sign and record declarations acknowledging state and county land use rules and penalties for noncompliance. It directly affects owners of land zoned for agriculture (which covers nearly 2 million acres statewide but has only about 24% actively used for crops or grazing). The resolution recommends counties require these declarations - similar to Maui’s existing practice - and provide landowners with information about farm mentoring programs to encourage active farming. It does not create new laws but seeks to increase agricultural land use by making landowners formally aware of requirements. The resolution cites data showing significant underuse of agricultural-zoned land as its key justification.