Maddy summarySenate Resolution 35 requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to partner with the Hawaii State Public Library System to identify rural and underserved communities (particularly on neighbor islands and rural Oahu) lacking telecommunication access for participating in state legislative meetings. It directs them to develop an outreach program using public library resources - such as free internet, videoconferencing, and devices like Chromebooks - to help residents engage remotely, reducing travel costs and barriers. The resolution requires a report to the Legislature by 2026 detailing findings and recommendations for improving public access. This procedural resolution focuses on infrastructure collaboration, not policy changes, to enhance civic participation.
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Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 71) requests Hawaii's Department of Agriculture to create a pilot program testing microbial algae-based soil products on eligible farms. The program would target small-to-medium organic farms (10-100 acres) experiencing soil health issues or excessive fertilizer use, aiming to improve soil fertility and reduce chemical dependency. The Department must collaborate with the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and report findings to the Legislature by late 2025. This resolution does not create new law but formally asks the Department to initiate the pilot and assess its potential for broader agricultural use.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 113 (SR 113) urges Hawaii's Department of Education (DOE) to submit a detailed report to the legislature on the true costs of producing school meals. The resolution requires the DOE to provide itemized cost breakdowns - including ingredient sourcing, operational expenses, beverage costs, and distribution logistics - for the 2024-2025 and projected 2025-2026/2026-2027 school years. It also mandates data on meal types (full-price, reduced-price, free) and total costs to ensure transparency around proposed price increases (e.g., from $2.50 to $4.75 per meal). The report must be submitted 20 days before Hawaii's 2026 legislative session. This resolution does not change meal prices but seeks factual data to inform future decisions.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 77 urges the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Maui County Department of Agriculture to address axis deer overpopulation by making USDA-certified meat processing more accessible and affordable for local hunters. It directs these agencies to form a task force to develop a program for distributing locally-hunted venison to the community, with a report due by November 30, 2025. The resolution focuses on reducing barriers to processing deer meat (venison) through improved access to USDA inspections and certified facilities.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution urges Hawaii's state boards and commissions to conduct annual performance reviews of their Executive Directors (or equivalent roles exempt from civil service law). The reviews would assess how well these leaders meet state goals and statutory mandates, though the resolution itself is non-binding. It applies specifically to boards/commissions with exempt leadership positions, not to all state employees. The measure is procedural and does not create new legal requirements.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 6) urges Hawaii's State Health Planning and Development Agency to create a working group focused on reducing delays caused by insurance prior authorization requirements. The group would include 15 members representing insurers, healthcare providers, consumers, and employers, plus agency officials, to study specific practices like 24-hour response times for urgent care and longer validity periods for medications. It requires the group to examine how prior authorization impacts timely care and propose solutions, including potential policy changes. The working group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by early 2026. This resolution does not change laws but seeks to inform future legislative action on insurance approval processes.
Maddy summaryThis resolution (SR 8) recognizes April 21-28, 2025, as International Dark Sky Week in Hawaii. It requests residents to support dark sky preservation and directs the Board of Land and Natural Resources to create a task force. The task force, including state officials, astronomers, tourism representatives, and federal agencies, will study light pollution reduction, energy conservation, wildlife protection, and strategies like dark sky parks. It does not create new laws but aims to guide future policy on preserving Hawaii’s natural night skies.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 115) requests the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a Geothermal Energy Working Group. The group would evaluate Hawaii's current rules and policies affecting geothermal energy development, particularly to address regulatory barriers and permit challenges. The working group would include state agency leaders, county representatives, industry stakeholders, and community advocates. This resolution does not create new laws but aims to coordinate a review process to support Hawaii's renewable energy goals. It directly affects state agencies, local governments, and geothermal developers by initiating a structured evaluation of the policy environment.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 114) urges all Hawaii state departments to establish secure data-sharing agreements with the Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR). It does not create new laws but requests departments partner with OWR to share deidentified, aggregated data - breaking down current silos - to better analyze community needs through OWR’s existing Quality of Life and Well-Being Dashboard. The resolution emphasizes protecting resident privacy while enabling cross-departmental data integration for evidence-based programs addressing social determinants of health. It directly affects state departments by asking them to collaborate on data-sharing protocols, as mandated by Act 291 (HRS Chapter 27).
Maddy summaryThis is a Senate Resolution (SR 117), not a bill that would become law. It requests the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to form a working group to develop recommendations for creating a state-run paid family and medical leave program. The resolution cites that only 1 in 4 private workers in Hawaii currently have access to paid leave, with many caregivers struggling to balance work and care duties. The working group would propose how to establish and implement such a program, which would directly affect private-sector employees and caregivers statewide if adopted. This is a procedural step to begin planning, not a policy change itself.