Sen. Les Ihara

Creates a temporary law enforcement working group to make recommendations to the legislature on establishing professional recruitment, hiring, and training standards for all state law enforcement officers who carry firearms and badges and who have the arrest authority. Prohibits a law enforcement officer who has been terminated for misconduct by a state or county department, agency, or office in the capacity of law enforcement from being hired by another state or county law enforcement department, agency, or office.

Expands the required qualifications that applicants may fulfill as part of the requirements for dental licensure to include passage of any other nationally recognized clinical dental examination recommended by the American Dental Association and dental licensure in another state; provided that the applicant meets specific qualifications. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes pesticide buffer zones for sensitive areas beginning on July 1, 2018. Establishes penalties for violations. Requires the Department of Agriculture, based on input from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, to adopt rules that determine amounts, distances, and wind speeds relating to pesticide buffer zones, within 18 months of the effective date. (SD1)

Removes redundant investigating and reporting requirements of the Department of Human Services and the family courts in cases where temporary restraining orders are sought for alleged domestic abuse involving a family or household member who is a minor or incapacitated person.

Establishes a Kapolei jobs initiative pilot program that offers incentives to increase the number of businesses willing to establish themselves or open a new location in the Kapolei region. Establishes a tax credit, until 12/31/2024, as part of the Kapolei jobs initiative pilot program.

Repeals the provision of the Uniform Information Practices Act that prohibits the disclosure of certain information regarding misconduct by a county police department officer if the misconduct only resulted in the suspension of the officer.

Beginning with the primary election in 2018, requires the office of elections to implement election by mail in a county with a population of fewer than 100,000 and beginning with the 2020 primary election, implement election by mail in each of the other counties for all elections. Establishes an election by mail system, including requirements for ballots, replacement ballots, deficient return of ballots, electronic transmission of replacement ballots under certain circumstances, ballot counting, voter service centers, places of deposit, and election expenses and responsibilities. Establishes procedures for postponed elections. Makes conforming amendments to provide for an election by mail system. Allows voters in an election by mail system to request that their ballots be temporarily forwarded to another address in or outside of the State for a single election or a primary or special primary election and the election immediately following it. Appropriates funds for the implementation and administration of the elections by mail program. Requires the office of elections to submit annual reports to the legislature from 2018 to 2024 regarding implementing the elections by mail program. Takes effect on 1/7/2059. (SD1)

Formally establishes the Hawaii Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn program and special fund within the Department of Education. Appropriates funds for positions and a vision screening and eye assessment tool, and to implement, expand, and sustain the program. (SB510 HD2)

Requires the department of taxation to manage a public database of all registered transient accommodation and resort time share vacation plan businesses. Makes failure to register as a business of furnishing transient accommodations a class C felony rather than a misdemeanor. Requires filers of transient accommodations tax to include the amount of transient accommodations tax revenues collected by zip code on tax return form. Requires filers of transient accommodations tax to include certificate of registration number on annual tax return. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/16.

Amends the composition of the Board of Dental Examiners to add an additional dental hygienist member and specify that two hygienist members shall reside in the City and County of Honolulu and one shall reside in the County of Hawaii, Maui, or Kauai. (SB371 HD1)