Sen. Carol Fukunaga

Appropriates funds to support educational training programs to expand the State's health care workforce. Allocates funds to the Department of Education for health care certificate programs and classroom renovations for health care training in public high schools. Allocates funds to the University of Hawaii for education programs that support certified nurse assistants in becoming licensed practical nurses.

Establishes a working group within the Department of Agriculture to develop a plan that creates an educational pathway in the University of Hawaii community college system to equip interested students with the necessary entry level knowledge, skill set, expertise, and advancement potential in the field of meat processing. Require reports to the Legislature.

Effective 7/1/2027, establishes the Environmental Stewardship Fee Program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources, through which the Department will collect a fee from visitors for a license to visit a state park, forest, hiking trail, or other state natural area. Establishes the Environmental Stewardship Fee Special Fund effective 7/1/2025. Allocates a certain amount of transient accommodations tax revenues to the special fund. Requires report to the Legislature on strategic plan and timetable for objectives and implementation of the environmental stewardship fee program. Appropriates funds for the environmental stewardship fee strategic plan and positions for the Environmental Stewardship Fee Program.

Appropriates funds for the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to establish eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE) agricultural technician positions and four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) community coordinator positions.

Repeals the Land Court. Requires registered owners of an interest in property registered in land court to deregister their interest. Requires the land court to inform registered owners of the requirement to deregister. Appropriates moneys.

Requires the Hawaii Tourism Authority and School of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to collaborate to actively plan for the design, construction, and operations and management of a state hotel. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to incorporate into their assessment process the possession of dam insurance or the active seeking of dam insurance by private dam owners, as part of their valid mitigation strategies, in conjunction with approved modifications or repairs. Authorizes the DLNR to relax any restrictions and stringent standards on a dam or appurtenance upon verification of certain insurance coverage. Authorizes the DLNR to consider a dam, reservoir, or appurtenance is safe absent certain documents. Shifts the burden of proof to the DLNR to find that a dam is categorized as high-risk. Establishes additional requirements for the DLNR and Board of Land and Natural Resources regarding the Dam and Appurtenance Improvement or Removal Grant Program.

Adds a minimum penalty and amends the maximum penalty per violation of the State Water Code, expands the types of potential violations of the State Water Code, and makes each day that a violation exists or continues to exist a separate offense. Requires the Commission on Water Resource Management to consider certain factors when imposing penalties. Makes the setting, charging, and collecting of administrative fines by the Commission on Water Resource Management mandatory, rather than discretionary.

Establishes a working group within the Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive study to assess the State's port and harbor system and the potential viability of each location in that system to support current and future agricultural product transportation methods and needs. Requires a report. Appropriates moneys.

Maddy summarySB 760 would allow rodeos to be held on land zoned for agricultural use, which is currently prohibited under existing land use rules. This bill directly affects landowners and event organizers in agricultural zones who want to host rodeos on their property. The key provision removes the restriction preventing rodeos on such land, changing the current zoning requirements. The bill is still in early stages, having been introduced in 2025 and carried over to the next legislative session.