Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz

Alters the definition of "business" or "engaging" in business under the general excise tax laws to exclude casual sales and businesses that have a worldwide web site as a third-party content provider on a computer physically located in the State but owned by a non-affiliated person; use non-affiliated third-party call centers that accept and process telephone or electronic orders of tangible personal property or licenses primarily from non-Hawaii buyers, which orders are forwarded to a location outside of Hawaii for filing, or to provide services primarily to non-Hawaii customers; and activities of a person without physical presence in the State if the person and the person's affiliates have less than $100,000 of gross receipts in the State based on receipts from the prior calendar year.

Requires weigh-in of commercial maritime cargo vehicles with cargo of 55,000 pounds or more immediately upon departing a commercial harbor. Requires report to Department of Transportation on every container or load of such poundage that arrived in a State harbor for transport on state highways.

Beginning with the primary election in 2018, requires the office of elections to implement election by mail in a county with a population of fewer than 100,000 and beginning with the 2020 primary election, implement election by mail in each of the other counties for all elections. Establishes an election by mail system, including requirements for ballots, replacement ballots, deficient return of ballots, electronic transmission of replacement ballots under certain circumstances, ballot counting, voter service centers, places of deposit, and election expenses and responsibilities. Establishes procedures for postponed elections. Makes conforming amendments to provide for an election by mail system. Allows voters in an election by mail system to request that their ballots be temporarily forwarded to another address in or outside of the State for a single election or a primary or special primary election and the election immediately following it. Appropriates funds for the implementation and administration of the elections by mail program. Requires the office of elections to submit annual reports to the legislature from 2018 to 2024 regarding implementing the elections by mail program.

Requires that in order to qualify for the renewable energy technologies income tax credit, solar water heater systems meet the standards for solar water heater systems established by the public utilities commission. Requires the public utilities commission to establish standards for hot water heater systems that are ENERGY STAR qualified and listed or systems certified to the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) standard 3000. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2017.

Encourages purchase of chilled water for use in an air conditioning system and investment in seawater air conditioning systems by providing tax credits.

Authorizes the public benefits fee to be used to install and upgrade electric power infrastructure to facilitate the use of electric vehicles. Authorizes the public benefits fee administrator to establish procedures for the administration of public benefits fee programs that install or upgrade electric power infrastructure to facilitate the use of electric vehicles. Sunsets on 6/30/2021.

Requires operators of child care facilities, including family child care homes, group child care centers, and group child care homes, and infant and toddler child care centers that care for children one year of age or younger to implement and maintain safe sleep policies to prevent sudden unexpected infant deaths and sudden infant death syndrome in accordance with rules adopted by the Department of Human Services.

Authorizes the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds to finance capital improvements to the Waiahole Irrigation System. (SD1)

Creates a 50% tax credit to a maximum of $250,000 for costs involved in projects that provide housing for low-income and very-low-income residents.

Establishes the state transit-oriented development authority to plan and coordinate development projects within the state-transit-oriented development district. Establishes the district within one-half mile of the sites of specified Honolulu rail transit stations.