Sen. Les Ihara

Appropriates funds for the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to establish a Central Oahu Wildfire Protection Plan, in consultation with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, community stakeholders, and nonprofit organizations that specialize in wildfire preparedness and mitigation programming. Requires matching funds from United States Department of Agriculture Forestry Service Wildfire Defense grants. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded. (SD1)

Appropriates funds to address the mental health and wellness needs of youth in the State.

Establishes under the Department of Health a Smoking Sensor Rebate Program, which offers a rebate for installation of smoking sensors to detect smoking within smoking-prohibited areas.

Requires boards to make available for public inspection board packets, if created, at the time the board packet is distributed to the board members but no later than two business days before the meeting. Carves out an exception by allowing public testimony to be distributed to board members within two business days before the meeting. Requires boards to provide notice that includes a list of the documents that were compiled by the board and distributed to board members before a meeting. (SD1)

Establishes an electric vehicle battery recycling and disposal program. Prohibits disposal of propulsion batteries as solid waste. Prohibits producers of propulsion batteries from refusing propulsion batteries for reuse, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling. Establishes producer responsibility for propulsion batteries embedded into vehicles or sold separately in the State or through remote sale. Authorizes the Department of Health to inspect any place, building, or premise and issue warnings and citations for failure to comply. Establishes requirements for a battery management plan. Establishes fines.

Requires the public access room to establish and maintain an outreach and engagement program for primary, secondary, post-secondary, and community education. Requires the department of education and university of Hawaiʻi to assign appropriate staff to coordinate with the public access room for the outreach and engagement program. Establishes two full-time equivalent permanent civic education resource teacher positions. Appropriates funds to the legislative reference bureau for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position to assist in effectuating this requirement. Appropriates funds to the department of education for the expansion of civic education in the public schools.

Increases the income thresholds and credit amounts of the income tax credit for low-income household renters by using tax brackets individuals and different categories of households. Annually adjusts the income thresholds and credit amounts for inflation, based on the consumer price index. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2023. (SD1)

Appropriates funds to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the retention of third party professionals with the necessary financial, accounting, and land inventory expertise to evaluate and address the completeness and accuracy of the public land trust information system, so that the Public Land Trust Working Group can complete its objectives pursuant to Act 226, Session Laws of 2022. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded. (SD1)

Updates the enforcement mechanisms for the Uniform Information Practices Act and the Sunshine Law.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Education to enhance the Department's mobile platforms that provide student mental health and social-emotional health support. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling is exceeded.