Sen. Karl Rhoads

Establishes procedures for the Department of Transportation to assist and enable a person to voluntarily purchase a verified carbon offset for carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the person's air travel to or from an airport in the State. Requires revenue generated from carbon offsets to be directed to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for tree planting or other initiatives that proportionally increase carbon sequestration. (SD1)

Establish certain minimum staff-to-patient ratios for hospitals, care homes, and dialysis facilities. Requires hospitals to create hospital staffing committees and staffing plans. Establishes certain meal break, rest break, and overtime provisions applicable to health care personnel at hospitals, care homes, and dialysis facilities. Appropriates moneys to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations for implementation and enforcement.

Requires state facilities to prepare a report assessing the feasibility of installing distributed energy resource systems at each facility. Requires state facilities to implement and install the distributed energy resource systems detailed in the reports no later than five years from the issue date of the reports. Gives priority for the required energy efficiency measures to first responder facilities.

Require the Department of Human Services to: establish a Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program that supplements existing statewide services by providing training and other services to neighbor island residents who are blind or visually impaired; establish a Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program Working group and submit a pilot program implementation plan to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2024; and submit a report on the Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program to the legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2027. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Establishes a carbon emissions tax credit. Expands the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to include carbon emissions. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2023. Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Department of Taxation, to recommend updates to the tax per fuel and corresponding tax credits.

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to: prioritize the allocation of low-income housing tax credits to state-owned development projects; amend the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan to allow up to twenty per cent of the maximum one hundred twenty points on the application criteria point system to be allocated to projects offering to convey ownership of the completed project to the State or an organization obliged to use all financial surpluses generated by the project to construct more housing; not award additional points for developer fees that are under twelve per cent; and prioritize applicants who have demonstrated accelerated full repayment into the rental housing revolving fund of past rental housing revolving fund loans. (SD1)

Increases the percentage rate of weekly workers' compensation benefits for partially dependent parents of a deceased child from twenty-five per cent to fifty per cent.

Establishes a continuous Legislature. Requires the Legislature to convene at least once a month. Removes language regarding special sessions, adjournment, and recesses. Creates a two-year deadline for a bill to be submitted for gubernatorial consideration. Standardizes the number of days that the Governor must approve or veto a bill submitted for consideration. Requires bills returned by the Governor to be heard by the Legislature within 30 days for the bill to be further amended. Requires the passage of the legislative budget within 45 days before the end of each fiscal year. Makes members of the Legislature subject to the sunshine law. Prohibits members of the Legislature from having employment other than their work as members of the Legislature. Takes effect 01/01/3000. (SD1)

Establishes a carbon emissions tax credit. Expands the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to include carbon emissions. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2023.

Appropriates funds for the Department of Transportation to engage climate change adaptation measures for the State's low-lying roads and highways. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)