Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Program within the Department of Law Enforcement. Establishes the Agricultural Enforcement Special Fund. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
Maddy summaryHB 581 appropriates state funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) for constructing new housing units specifically for Native Hawaiians. The bill directly affects Native Hawaiians who qualify for DHHL housing programs by expanding available housing through new construction. Its key provision is allocating budgetary resources to DHHL for this purpose, without altering eligibility rules or existing program structures. The bill is currently pending in the 2025 legislative session after being referred to relevant committees.
Requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a climate education, environmental sustainability, and indigenous knowledge into the K-12 curriculum and climate education and environmental sustainability teacher training and professional development programs. Requires the University of Hawaii to develop and implement a series of courses on climate education and environmental sustainability, to be completed by every student prior to the student's graduation, and establish sustainability practices across all university campuses to promote sustainability. Requires the Department of Education and University of Hawaii to conduct annual sustainability audits across their respective campuses to assess the progress of each campus in integrating sustainability into their curriculum and operations.
Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply for the planning, design, and construction of up to six monitoring wells. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Continues a licensing scheme for licensed certified midwives and licensed certified professional midwives, to be overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Reestablishes the home birth task force to provide recommendations on issues related to home births. Dissolves the task force on 6/30/2026. Requires reports to the Legislature.
Requires the Board of Education to adopt a policy that bans the use of phones and related devices by students during school hours. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Makes permanent the amendments made by Act 163, SLH 2023, to the state earned income tax credit and refundable food/excise tax credit. Amends the income thresholds and credit amounts for the low-income household renters tax credit and refundable food/excise tax credit. Amends the state earned income tax credit. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2024.
Requires each public school to implement a policy to prohibit students from using cellular phones and other wireless communication devices during school hours, subject to exceptions for education, health, and emergencies.
Establishes the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within the Department of Human Services to assist households in paying their energy bills. Requires the Public Utilities Commission's Public Benefits Fee Administrator to provide information and technical assistance about available energy efficiency programs to recipients of the program. Appropriates funds.
Maddy summaryHB 940 allocates state funds to support the rat lungworm disease research lab at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. This bill directly affects the university's lab and indirectly benefits Hawaii residents by advancing research on rat lungworm, a disease transmitted through contaminated food or water. The key provision is the appropriation of dedicated funding for the lab's operations, with the bill effective July 1, 3000 (note: likely a typo for 2030). The legislation focuses on providing concrete financial support for this specific research initiative, without altering broader public policy.
