Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa

Increases the bonus for teachers who achieve and maintain a current national board certification from $5,000 to $10,000. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 558 proposes creating a Nuclear Energy Task Force within Hawaii's State Energy Office. The bill requires this task force to produce reports for the state Legislature, focusing on nuclear energy considerations. This is a procedural bill that establishes a study group (not a policy change) and directly affects Hawaii's energy office and legislative oversight process. It is currently pending in the 2026 session.

Requires the Department of Education to authorize and facilitate complex areas or individual public schools to form their own farm to school meal programs through partnerships to meet the local farm to school meal goal of thirty per cent of food served in the school to consist of locally sourced products by 2030. Allows the Department of Education to establish a plant-based meal program no later than the 2026-2027 school year. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Amends the definition of "eligible business activity" for enterprise zone program purposes to include retail sales of tangible personal property manufactured and sold in the enterprise zone that is to be used or consumed by the purchaser and not for resale, the processing of value-added agricultural products grown within an enterprise zone, and the provision of professional services by health care professionals in health care related sectors.

Requires and appropriates funds to pay salary differentials to English language educators as an incentive to attract and retain these educators. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires that each Department of Education public school student earn 2 credits in Hawaiian language as a graduation requirement. Establishes a 2-year pilot program for Hawaiian language instruction at a central Oahu elementary school and Nanakuli High and Intermediate School. Appropriates funds.

Requires all accident and health or sickness insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations operating in the State to adopt policies, procedures, and criteria for approving or denying requests for prior authorization that are the equivalent to the guidelines for prior authorization established by Medicare.

Authorizes physicians to practice at organized ambulatory health care facilities even if the physician does not have hospital privileges at a licensed hospital in the same geographic location as the ambulatory facility. Provides that a written transfer agreement is not required to transfer a patient from an organized ambulatory health care facility to a licensed hospital.

Maddy summaryHB 123 exempts routine fisheries operations and management activities from state environmental review requirements. This directly affects fishing businesses, state fisheries agencies, and any entities managing day-to-day fishing activities within the state. The bill removes the need for environmental assessments for standard operations, such as fishing gear deployment or stock management. It does not apply to major construction projects or large-scale developments that typically trigger separate environmental reviews.

Maddy summaryThe bill's official abstract is limited to "Short form bill relating to agriculture," and no specific provisions or policy changes are described in the provided context. Without details on its content, mechanisms, or affected parties, a substantive summary cannot be created. The bill was introduced in January 2025 and carried over to the next legislative session, but no further information about its purpose or impact is available. For a complete summary, the full text or detailed description of HB 93 would be required.