Sen. Henry Aquino

Requires the county police departments to purchase and deploy explosion detection technology equipment to assist in the location of and response to explosions caused by the illegal use of firearms and fireworks. Appropriates moneys to the counties as a grant in aid.

Maddy summarySB 569 allocates state funds to operate an additional ambulance on the island of Hawaii, specifically based in Makalei. This bill directly affects residents of the island of Hawaii who rely on emergency medical services in that area. The key provision is a specific funding appropriation for ambulance operations, not a change in health policy or regulations. It is a straightforward funding measure to improve emergency response capacity in Makalei.

By 1/1/2028, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2029, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program.

Prohibits the licensing of an adult residential care home, expanded adult residential care home, or developmental disabilities domiciliary home that is financed, managed, operated, supervised, directed, or owned in whole or in part by a person convicted of a gambling offense.

Beginning 7/1/2027, allows chiropractic students enrolled in a qualified chiropractic college to engage in clinical practice as part of their college instruction if directly supervised by a qualified licensed chiropractor. Requires the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic to adopt rules. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)

Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to notify an individual of their rights when in state or local law enforcement agency custody before any interview with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations. Designates all records relating to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as public records under chapter 92F, HRS. Requires state and local law enforcement agencies that have provided the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year.

Maddy summarySB 1043 reduces the general excise tax rate on nonprescription drugs by 50%. This change directly affects consumers who purchase nonprescription medications, lowering their out-of-pocket costs. The bill's key provision is halving the existing tax rate, effective July 1, 3000. It does not alter other tax rates or create new government programs. The bill passed a committee recommendation with four supportive votes in February 2025.

Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules establishing privacy requirements for direct-to-consumer genetic testing in the State. Requires the Department's rules to specify whether consumers' genetic information may be used for purposes of investigative genetic genealogy.

Expands mandatory health insurance coverage for low-dose mammography for occult breast cancer to include any supplemental imaging deemed medically necessary for a patient of any age having an above-average risk for breast cancer as determined by the use of a risk-factor modeling tool. On or before 1/1/2026, expands mandatory health insurance coverage to include additional supplemental imaging for any patient, regardless of age, as deemed medically necessary by the patient's primary care provider. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Establishes a Desalination Planning Task Force to examine the feasibility of, and develop a plan and timeline for, the use desalination as a source of potable water in the State. (SD1)