Sen. Glenn Wakai

Appropriates moneys to the Office of Veterans' Services to perform its statutory duties, including maintaining a center that provides information, counsel, aid, and assistance to veterans, their families, and their dependents; and cooperating with federal agencies responsible for the administration of rights and benefits granted to veterans, their families, and their dependents. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Establishes the Insurance Affordability Assistance Pilot Program within the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to assist eligible homeowners with sudden increases in property insurance premiums. Sunsets 6/30/2028.

Authorizes certain government entities to establish a self-certification process for behind-the-meter, customer-sited solar distributed energy resource systems and exempt the systems from the Federal Emergency Management Agency No-Rise/No-Impact declaration requirements under certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Establishes a spay and neuter special fund. Establishes a spay and neuter special fund advisory committee to develop eligibility criteria for and manage the disbursement of the special fund. Authorizes, and requires the Director of Taxation to amend the individual state income tax form to facilitate, the designation of tax refund moneys to be paid to the spay and neuter special fund. Appropriates moneys into and out of the special fund.

Maddy summarySB 436 limits the State Fire Marshal position to a maximum of three terms. This means no individual can serve as State Fire Marshal for more than three consecutive terms under this law. The rule takes effect on July 1, 2050. The bill directly affects the person holding the State Fire Marshal position, changing the term limits for that specific state office.

Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, requires the Department of Education to provide free breakfast and lunch to students enrolled in a public school who meet certain requirements. Appropriates funds.

Establishes and appropriates moneys for the development of a structural integrity assessment program within the Department of Accounting and General Services to inspect certain multi-story structures. Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services to develop a standardized assessment methodology, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii and Department of Land and Natural Resources, for use in program inspections. Requires the program to begin with assessments of structures in South Maui and West Maui. Requires annual reports to the Legislature.

Establishes that, in certain circumstances, an actor rightfully present on agricultural lands may exercise deadly force with a right to stand the actor's ground and not retreat.

Designates student transportation as critical infrastructure and a critical service for Hawaii's public education system. Requires all school bus contracts between the State and the contractor to include certain standards, performance metrics, and accountability requirements to prevent service disruptions.

Authorizes the director of a county planning department to issue a special management area use permit to redevelop permanent affordable multi-family rental housing that has been substantially destroyed as result of certain natural disasters, with certain exceptions. Permits county planning departments and any other applicable state or county department or agency to amend or modify final plans and specifications for redevelopment of an existing experimental and demonstration housing project, with certain restrictions. Requires county planning departments and any other applicable state or county department or agency to prioritize approving permits for the redevelopment of permanent affordable multi-family rental housing in special management areas, under certain circumstances. Exempts permanently affordable multi-family rental housing projects within a special management area that are being redeveloped and are located on properties or districts on the state or national historic register from environmental impact statement requirements. (CD1)