Sen. Michelle Kidani

Prohibits the Department of Human Services from using any social security income payments, including supplemental income payments it receives on behalf of a child under foster custody of the Department to cover the cost of foster care services. Requires the Department of Human Services to deposit all social security income payments received on behalf of a child under foster custody of the Department into a savings account that shall be made accessible to the child when the child leaves foster care custody.

Establishes the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within the Department of Human Services to assist qualifying households in paying their energy bills. Requires the Public Utilities Commission Public Benefits Fee Administrator to provide certain assistants to recipients of the program. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires the Department of Education to include the teaching of financial literacy in kindergarten through grade twelve. Requires students in grades nine through twelve to complete a one-half credit in financial literacy before graduation. Requires the Board of Education to provide professional development to teachers who are teaching financial literacy courses.

Repeals all permissible uses of consumer fireworks by minors. Establishes civil penalties for the use and sale of consumer fireworks, including nuisance abatement proceedings and forfeiture of assets used in the commission of the illegal use or sale of consumer fireworks. Appropriates funds to the Department of Law Enforcement to provide for community safety education programs. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Clarifies that the civil service exemption for personal service contracts for building, custodial, and grounds maintenance services with qualified community rehabilitation programs shall not cost more than $850,000 in the aggregate per private person or entity, regardless of the number of contracts or qualified community rehabilitation programs utilized for the personal service. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Requires the Department of Health to construct, establish, and operate an environmental toxins testing laboratory to test samples submitted by the public for diseases; water, air, and soil quality; and complex testing. Requires a report to the Legislature. Authorizes the Director of Finance to issue general obligation bonds. Appropriates funds.

Requires at least fifty per cent of treatment works effluent to be R-1 recycled water by January 1, 2045. Requires each county to report to the Department of Health by 1/1/2027 on the feasibility of recycling treatment works effluent that meets certain standards. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires each purchasing agency to provide justification for hiring external consultants. Caps the amount each agency can spend on external consultants. Requires each agency to seek approval from the Legislature for consulting contracts exceeding a certain dollar amount. Requires each agency to disclose new contracts with external consultants. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Requires the Compliance Audit Unit to conduct regular audits of agency consultant contracts to assess cost-effectiveness and compliance. Requires each chief procurement officer to ensure that inherent government functions are not delegated to a contractor. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD2)

Amends the Uniform Information Practices Act to require each contract to perform a government function to expressly require the contractor to retain records in accordance with the retention schedule of the agency and provide the agency with access to all records subject to the Uniform Information Practices Act; define "government function" and "trade secret"; clarify that "government record" includes information that is created, received, maintained, or used by a private person in performance of a government function contract; and prohibit agencies from denying a request for access to records of a contractor used in the performance of a government function on the basis of trade secret or other proprietary information. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Clarifies the definition of "power-generating facility" for the purposes of environmental impact assessments to include facilities that rely on the combustion of any fuel source, including facilities operating beginning 1/1/2025, and facilities that convert from one source of energy to another source, where the new source requires combustion and the electrical output rating of the converted facility exceeds 5.0 megawatts.