Requires that Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation housing projects include a restrictive covenant that states that the units designated as affordable housing, as described in the submitted project application, shall remain as affordable housing in perpetuity. Prohibits development of affordable housing in a special flood hazard area.
Amends the Hawaii State Constitution to prohibit the State from denying or interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom, including the right to choose to obtain an abortion and to obtain or use contraceptives.
Prohibits the Governor or a Mayor from suspending requests for public records or vital statistics during a declared state of emergency. Allows for a reasonable delay in an agency's response to a request as a result of extenuating circumstances.
Establishes that a person's conduct that produces, or causes to be produced, noise exceeding a certain decibel level during nighttime hours in any area zoned as residential or mixed-use residential is an unreasonable noise that constitutes the offense of disorderly conduct. Appropriates funds.
Establishes Braille literacy as a policy of the State. Requires literacy assessments for eligible low vision and blind students to include Braille instruction and the use of Braille. Authorizes the Department of Education to adopt administrative rules. Establishes the Braille Literacy Resource Center. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Maddy summarySB 1626 allocates state funds to the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program, helping healthcare professionals repay student loans. It directly affects licensed healthcare workers, particularly those serving in underserved areas or specific roles like nurses, doctors, or mental health providers. The bill’s key mechanism is providing financial support to reduce graduates' education debt, making it easier for them to enter or remain in the healthcare workforce. This is a funding measure, not a new policy.
Appropriate funds into and out of the Hawaii Historic Preservation Special Fund for the State Historic Preservation Division to inventory historic properties and burial sites in the State, collect data on burial site locations, and conduct an archaeological survey necessary to compile the inventory. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Allows tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit.
Extends the State's energy-efficiency portfolio standards from 2030 to 2045. Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish interim goals and clarifies procedures.
Clarifies that the Hawaii Labor Relations Board has the authority to enforce its own orders issued pursuant to state law governing collective bargaining in public employment, in addition to discretion to seek judicial enforcement of its orders under the Hawaii Employment Relations Act. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
