Rep. Nicole Lowen

Allows the governor to designate the department of land and natural resources to administer or enter into agreements for the administration of a green job youth corps program that provides temporary work and training opportunities to help address the unemployment impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic diversification. Requires a report to the legislature. Appropriates American Rescue Plan Act funds. (CD1)

Requires the Office of Planning, in cooperation with each state agency having operational responsibilities over state facilities, to: identify existing and planned facilities that are vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding impacts, and natural hazards; assess a range of options to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise to those facilities; and submit annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, and Hawaii climate change mitigation and adaptation commission regarding the vulnerability and adaptation assessments for state facilities and the progress made in implementing sea level rise adaptation in future plans, programs, and capital improvement needs and decisions. Amends the Hawaii State Planning Act to include sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and sea level rise adaptation as objectives for facility systems. (CD1)

Clarifies when and how members or partners of a taxpayer may claim the low-income housing tax credit. Requires a Form 8609 for purposes of claiming the tax credit. Specifies the application of tax provisions with respect to buildings or projects placed in service after 12/31/2020. Extends the sunset date of Act 129, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, to 12/31/2027. (CD1)

Establishes the broadband infrastructure grant program to award grants to applicants to extend deployment of infrastructure used to provide broadband service to unserved and underserved areas of the State. Renames the Hawaii technology loan revolving fund to the Hawaii broadband infrastructure special fund. Establishes the Hawaii broadband and digital equity office within the department of business, economic development, and tourism. Requires the governor to appoint a strategic broadband coordinator to head the Hawaii broadband and digital equity office. Appropriates funds from the moneys received pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. (CD1)

Requires and establishes benchmarks for each state department to ensure that a certain percentage of the produce purchased by that department consists of fresh local agricultural products or local value-added, processed, agricultural, or food products. Requires a report to the legislature on each department's progress toward meeting these benchmarks. (SD2)

Allows the board of land and natural resources to adopt, amend, or repeal administrative fee schedules for certain activities related to state parks through regular or special board meetings rather than through administrative rulemaking. (CD1)

Establishes an affordable homeownership revolving fund within HHFDC to provide loans to nonprofit community development financial institutions and nonprofit housing development organizations for the development of affordable homeownership housing projects. Appropriates American Rescue Plan Act funds for fiscal year 2022-2023 for providing loans to nonprofit community development financial institutions and nonprofit housing development organizations for the development of affordable homeownership housing projects. (CD1)

Requires complex area superintendents to report directly to the superintendent of education. Requires reports. (CD1)

Establishes the Environmental Advisory Council. Transfers the rights, powers, employees, appropriations, and other personal property from the Office of Environmental Quality Control to the Office of Planning. Transfers all rules adopted or developed by the Department of Health, Office of Environmental Quality Control, or Environmental Council to the Office of Planning. Amends the ability for an applicant to appeal nonacceptance of an environmental impact statement from the Environmental Council to the Environmental Court. (CD1)

Raises the maximum age of minors for which safe storage of firearms is required from sixteen to eighteen years.