Sen. Michelle Kidani

Maddy summarySB 292 creates legal protection for survivors of sexual exploitation who seek medical care or contact law enforcement. It shields them from being prosecuted for minor offenses like drug possession or prostitution that occurred during their exploitation. This applies specifically when survivors access services through official channels to report or receive care. The bill is currently under committee review, with a public hearing scheduled for February 6, 2025.

Requires law enforcement to post notice that a warranted or warrantless search has been conducted on a property. Requires a law enforcement officer to secure any entrance used by an officer in the search. Requires law enforcement agencies to develop a policy for securing the entrances to a house, store, or other building designated as a place to be searched after a search is completed. Allows the breaking of any doors, gates, other bars to the entrance, closets, and other closed places during a search when reasonable and other means of entering the space are not reasonable. (CD1)

Requires the Legislature, in establishing or reviewing a revolving fund, to ensure the revolving fund is financially self-sustainable by either annual projections that show that the revolving fund will be sustainable without appropriations of general funds or a schedule of projected collections of outstanding payments to the revolving fund. (CD1)

Requires one voting member of the Early Learning Board to have experience as a local provider of early childhood education and development services. Adds the Director of the Hawaii Head Start State Collaboration Office as an ex officio, nonvoting member to the Early Learning Board. Requires the Early Learning Board to invite the President of the Head Start Association of Hawaii, or their designee, to serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the Board. (CD1)

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii for the development of an action plan and pre-engineering concept plan to help with debris management and water quality control in the Ala Wai watershed and establishment of two graduate assistant positions to assist with the action plan and pre-engineering concept plan. (CD1)

Maddy summarySB 330 authorizes the state Department of Agriculture to enforce federal quarantine orders related to invasive species. This would directly affect businesses or individuals handling plants, animals, or goods that could spread harmful invasive species, such as agricultural shipments or pet trade imports. The bill provides the state agency with the authority to implement existing federal quarantine requirements, without creating new quarantine rules. It focuses on ensuring compliance with federal standards to prevent the introduction or spread of invasive species through regulated pathways.

Appropriates funds to the Agribusiness Development Corporation to support the Coffee and Orchard Crops Extension and Applied Research Program and Kona Research Station in the County of Hawaii, and to fund the establishment of one permanent Extension Agent position within the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Kona Cooperative Extension. (CD1)

Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to complete a comprehensive review of the classification and compensation systems for all civil service positions under its jurisdiction by 10/31/2026. Allows the Department to contract with a third party, in accordance with the Hawaii Public Procurement Code, to assist with the timely completion of the review. Requires reports to the Legislature. (CD1)

Repeals the exemption of the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority from the State's Employees' Retirement System. Requires a retirant returning to service as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to re-enroll into the Employees' Retirement System. (CD1)

Requires condominium associations to provide electronic copies of their governing documents, as amended or restated, to unit owners or their authorized agents, upon request, at no cost. Repeals the authority of condominium associations to charge a reasonable fee for administrative costs associated with the handling of a request for association documents. (CD1)