Sen. Brandon Elefante

Maddy summarySCR 23 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution requesting Hawaii's Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to study implementing highway patrols and speed cameras on major freeways and highways in areas with frequent speeding. The resolution cites speeding as a leading factor in traffic fatalities and notes local law enforcement often lacks resources to address safety issues. It asks the departments to assess how collaborative efforts - using technology like speed cameras - could improve traffic safety without mandating any specific action. This resolution seeks only a study, not immediate policy changes or funding.

Maddy summarySCR 10 is a non-binding resolution urging Hawaii's State Health Planning and Development Agency to create a working group focused on health insurance prior authorization reforms. The working group would include representatives from insurance companies, healthcare providers, patients, and employers to study specific issues like reducing delays (e.g., setting 24-hour response times for urgent care), extending authorization validity for chronic conditions, and improving transparency in approval processes. It directly affects patients facing care delays, healthcare providers burdened by administrative tasks, and insurers requiring prior authorization. The resolution does not change laws but requests the group submit recommendations to the Legislature by late 2025.

Establishes the Illegal Fireworks Enforcement Division within the Department of Law Enforcement. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2028. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Amends emergency management laws to clarify state and county authority. Prohibits the Governor or Mayor from suspending requests for records or vital records and statistics during a state of emergency. Adds definition of the term "severe weather warning". Allows the Legislature and county councils to terminate a state of emergency after thirty days, in whole or in part, issued by the Governor or Mayor, respectively. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD3)

Maddy summarySCR 84 is a non-binding resolution urging Maui County, in collaboration with the Maui Emergency Management Agency, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Defense, to conduct real-time wildfire and disaster drills involving the Maui community. It specifically calls for these drills to include community members in planning, execution, and post-drill evaluations to improve emergency response preparedness. The resolution emphasizes community participation as a key mechanism to enhance public awareness, evacuation familiarity, and feedback for refining emergency protocols, based on examples from other communities.

Maddy summaryThis resolution requests the State Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the University of Hawaii Foundation. The foundation manages over 7,000 donor accounts and handles more than $660 million in funds raised for the University of Hawaii System. The audit aims to evaluate how effectively the foundation uses these funds to support students and faculty, ensuring transparency and accountability in its management.

Maddy summarySCR 61 is a Senate resolution requesting Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to evaluate the cost-benefit and return on investment of sponsoring a Michelin Guide for the state's restaurants. It asks the department to assess whether such a sponsorship would improve Hawaii's culinary tourism, attract skilled restaurant workers, and elevate local dining standards. The resolution does not require the state to actually sponsor the guide, only to study the feasibility and potential benefits. This request follows Hawaii's growing reputation as a food destination but notes Michelin inspectors currently do not visit the state.

Maddy summaryThis non-binding resolution requests Hawaii's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to gradually reduce the number of state inmates held in private, out-of-state correctional facilities. It directly affects inmates currently incarcerated outside Hawaii, who are separated from family and support networks. The resolution requires the department to implement an incremental reduction plan and submit annual progress reports to the legislature by 2027-2030. This follows longstanding legislative concerns about the negative impacts of interstate incarceration, as noted in Act 208 (1994), which intended to limit such transfers for inmates with strong community ties in Hawaii.

Maddy summarySCR 26 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution requesting the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to include circuit and district court facilities within the new Oahu Community Correctional Center in Halawa, and to establish a release procedure that transports people leaving custody to locations other than residential areas or public spaces. This aims to reduce transportation costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion by eliminating frequent court trips from Halawa to Honolulu, while addressing community safety concerns about releases into neighborhoods. The resolution does not create new law but asks the Department to consider these specific planning requirements during the facility's design phase. It directly affects the planning of the new Halawa facility, the Judiciary's court operations, and surrounding Halawa communities.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 98 urges Hawaii's Department of Education to collaborate with the Department of Transportation, Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee, and the County of Hawaii to assess safety at school bus stops on Hawaii Island. The resolution requests a detailed inventory focusing on specific infrastructure factors like sidewalks, lighting, traffic patterns, and hazards, to identify improvements needed for children traveling to school. It requires a report with prioritized safety recommendations to be submitted to the Legislature before the 2026 session. This non-binding resolution directly affects students relying on school transportation in Hawaii Island communities, particularly in rural or underserved areas.