Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 36) requests Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources to create a Desalination Planning Task Force to study whether large-scale desalination (removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water) is feasible for the state. The task force, including state agency leaders and county water officials, will examine water demand, environmental impacts (like energy use and brine disposal), cultural considerations (including Native Hawaiian sites), and how desalination might help meet future water needs amid Hawaii's freshwater crisis. The resolution does not mandate desalination but asks for a report by 2026 to inform future decisions. This study directly affects Hawaii's water management systems, agriculture, tourism, and communities facing water scarcity.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution urges the Stadium Authority to finalize a contract for constructing a new Aloha Stadium in Halawa and to advance development of the adjacent New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District. It notes the project has completed environmental reviews, selected a developer (Aloha Halawa District Partners), and aims to create jobs while integrating housing, retail, and event spaces. The resolution emphasizes the stadium’s role in supporting University of Hawaii athletics, attracting tourism, and aligning with community development goals.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 44) requests Hawaii's Department of Education to create and implement a statewide financial literacy curriculum for public high school students. It requires schools to offer a standalone financial literacy course by the 2026-2027 school year, covering budgeting, saving, credit management, taxes, loans, and fraud prevention. The plan must integrate these topics into existing courses, provide teacher training through workshops and pilot programs, and be finalized by December 2025. The resolution directly affects all public high school students and the Department of Education in Hawaii.
Maddy summaryThis non-binding Senate Resolution (SR 46) requests Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to evaluate the potential cost-benefit of sponsoring a Michelin Guide for the state's restaurants. It aims to assess whether such a sponsorship could boost culinary tourism, attract skilled workforce talent (as noted in a 2022 tourism report), and elevate restaurant standards. The resolution does not mandate sponsorship but asks the department to review feasibility and return on investment. It directly affects Hawaii's restaurant industry and tourism promotion efforts, though no concrete policy change is enacted by the resolution itself.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 45) urges the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to create a plan for producing enough housing to meet statewide demand. It highlights Hawaii's severe housing shortage, noting the state builds far fewer units annually (2,902) than needed, with critical gaps in housing for middle- and upper-income households (120%+ of area median income). The resolution requests HHFDC submit its plan to the Legislature by January 2026, emphasizing the need to address housing as a key factor in retaining residents and workers. As a procedural resolution, it does not enact new law but directs agency action.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution requests the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to study creating a Hawaii Workforce Excellence Award Program, modeled after France's Meilleur Ouvrier de France award. The study would examine how to recognize craftspersons in key trades (like carpentry, culinary arts, and floristry), including cost-effective implementation and industry input, and report findings to the Legislature by early 2026. It does not create the award program but seeks a feasibility assessment.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 18) requests the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to collaborate with the Department of Transportation to use existing inmate work furlough programs for state roadway and highway maintenance. It directly affects inmates participating in furlough programs (who gain work experience for reentry), the Corrections Department (which must coordinate the effort), and Transportation (which would gain additional maintenance staff). The resolution proposes using eligible inmates - already in furlough programs for reentry preparation - to perform routine road maintenance tasks like pothole repair and vegetation control. This is a procedural request, not a new law, aiming to support inmate rehabilitation while addressing workforce needs for highway upkeep.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 105 requests Hawaii's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to gradually reduce the number of inmates held in private, out-of-state correctional facilities. It directly affects inmates currently housed in mainland private prisons, aiming to reconnect them with family and community support networks in Hawaii. The resolution requires the department to submit annual progress reports to the Legislature by 2027-2030, detailing steps taken toward this reduction. This is a non-binding request, not a law, focused on changing current practice without specifying new funding or penalties.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 16) requests the Commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to permit Honolulu's Department of Parks and Recreation to temporarily use 12 acres of vacant, non-contaminated land on the Pearl City Peninsula for youth sports programs. It directly affects local youth soccer, baseball, and flag football teams that lack sufficient city park fields. The resolution specifies the non-contaminated land (excluding a small PFAS-affected area) could host at least three ball fields, with contaminated zones reserved for parking, addressing a decades-long shortage of recreational space. The request stems from community input and the Navy's 1985 fire cleanup, which left the land unused for 30+ years.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 33) requests the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to form a working group to evaluate how to create a permanent "Office of Resilience and Recovery" in Hawaii. The working group, including state agency leaders, emergency management officials, and local representatives, must determine which department should lead this office and its relationship to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. It aims to address recommendations from the Climate Advisory Team following the Maui wildfires, which caused over 100 deaths and $12 billion in damages. The group must submit its findings and a placement recommendation to the Legislature by November 30, 2025. This resolution does not create the office but seeks to establish its structure through evaluation.