Sen. Carol Fukunaga

Reduces the general excise tax rate on the gross proceeds or income from the sale of groceries that are eligible under the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) or special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC), regardless of the means of purchase and the program eligibility of the purchaser. Reduces the general excise tax rate on the gross proceeds or income from the sale of nonprescription drugs. Requires DBEDT to conduct an economic cost-benefit analysis on the GET reductions.

Appropriates funds for the Office of the Governor, in collaboration with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to oversee and administer grants to low-income residents, and condominium associations on behalf of low-income condominium owners, to fortify residential real property against hurricanes.

Appropriates funds to increase the funding for Medicaid in-home services, conditioned on the Department of Human Services obtaining the maximum federal matching funds.

By 1/1/2028, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2029, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program.

Prohibits the sale of flavored nicotine products and the mislabeling of e-liquids as nicotine free. Establishes penalties for violations. Authorizes the Department of Health to appoint, commission, or contract for services of inspectors. Establishes two full-time equivalent program specialist positions and one full-time equivalent hearing officer position. Appropriates funds. Effective 1/1/2026.

Requires laws that enact, modify, or extend the availability of a tax expenditure to contain specific information, revenue estimates, and analyses before becoming law. Allows the disclosure of certain tax credit information.

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.

Authorizes school complexes to incorporate media literacy in their standards-based curriculum, including content that prevents negative impacts of misinformation, disinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech.

Clarifies and strengthens the State's protections against sex-based harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation that occur in public schools, public charter schools, or at the University of Hawaii, including discrimination based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and pregnancy-related conditions. Establishes procedures for investigations and decision-making. Requires mandatory reporting by certain employees.

Maddy summarySB 1138 requires health plan insurers to use the same prior authorization approval rules for medical treatments as Medicare does. This directly affects health insurance companies that offer plans covering prescription drugs, hospital care, or specialist visits. The key mechanism is mandating that insurers align their internal processes with Medicare’s established standards for approving treatments. The bill aims to simplify and standardize approval requirements for patients seeking covered care, though it does not change Medicare’s own policies.