Rep. Lisa Marten

Maddy summaryHCR 5 is a Hawaii legislative resolution requesting the U.S. Congress to pass federal legislation that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. The resolution does not create new state law but urges federal action to extend existing protections nationwide, referencing the Equality Act (H.R. 15) currently sponsored by Congress members including Hawaii’s Ed Case and Jill Tokuda. It notes that while Hawaii already provides some protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in housing, employment, and jury service, federal law lacks comprehensive coverage in these areas. The resolution formally asks Congress to take this step and requests that the resolution be printed in the Congressional Record.

Establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate within the Department of the Attorney General to oversee and evaluate the delivery of services to children and their families by various state agencies and entities, receive and investigate complaints, and make recommendations for improvement. Requires annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, and public. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Board of Education to adopt a heat acclimatization and practice policy based on the Hawaii Athletic Trainers Association's Hawaii High School Athletic Association Heat Acclimatization and Practice Policy of 2017 for students in grades kindergarten to twelve in Department of Education schools and public charter schools statewide for certain physical activities. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Expands free school meal coverage, beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, to all public school students, including public charter school students, regardless of whether the student participates in a federal school meals program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires each state agency to expeditiously use energy efficient lighting. Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office to provide technical assistance and survey state agencies for compliance, prioritizing first responder facilities. Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to assist the Hawaii State Energy Office in conducting the survey. Requires a report of the survey to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires the Department of Education to establish a Numeracy Coaching Program to provide numeracy coaches in certain Department of Education elementary schools, middle schools, and intermediate schools to support teachers, improve instruction, and ensure that students develop a strong foundation in mathematics. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 1765 requires safety warnings related to spearfishing activities, directly affecting spearfishers who use the equipment. The bill establishes specific safety-warning requirements that must be posted or communicated to users. These provisions will take effect on July 1, 2027, after the bill is enacted. The abstract does not specify the exact content of the warnings, only that they are mandated for safety purposes.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to contract with community-based organizations to provide preventive and early intervention mental health services to adolescents within the community. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Authorizes the counties to implement housing infrastructure growth bonds. Conforms county debt limit statements law to permit counties to exclude housing infrastructure growth bonds from the debt limit of the counties if a constitutional amendment authorizing the use of housing infrastructure growth bonds and excluding housing infrastructure growth bonds from determinations of the counties' funded debt is ratified. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Proposes constitutional amendments to expressly provide that the Legislature may authorize political subdivisions, such as the counties, to issue housing infrastructure growth bonds for specified public works, public improvements, or other actions necessary for housing and community development, and exclude these bonds from determinations of the funded debt of the political subdivisions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)