Requires the Department of Education to assign school resource officers or guards to serve at public elementary schools and state prekindergarten programs. Requires report to the Legislature. Requires the Department of Education to seek funding from federal grants. Appropriates funds.
Establishes within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation a current and returning resident down payment program to provide matching funds for the down payment on a primary residence. Appropriates moneys and establishes positions.
Reduces the offense of purchasing, possessing, setting off, igniting, or discharging aerial devices, display fireworks, or articles pyrotechnic under a weight of twenty-five pounds without a valid permit to a civil violation.
Maddy summarySB 860 increases penalties for shoplifting offenses. It directly affects individuals convicted of stealing merchandise from retail stores. The bill's key provision raises the severity of punishment for shoplifting, though specific penalty levels (like fines or jail time) aren't detailed in the abstract. This change aims to strengthen legal consequences for retail theft.
Requires the State Council on Mental Health to include an unspecified number of members with demonstrated knowledge of or work experience involving native Hawaiian health practices. Requires council members to receive annual training on topics related to native Hawaiian healing and health.
Establishes a 1-year Physician Licensing Subsidy Pilot Program within the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to provide subsidized licensing fees for eligible medical school graduates and out-of-state physicians applying for initial licensure in the State. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to collaborate with the Department of Health, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, and other stakeholders to promote the pilot program; adopt rules; and submit a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2026.
Appropriates funds for salaries and fringe benefits of positions for the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy's Space Science and Engineering Initiative Workforce Development Program, Maunakea Scholars Program, and Internship Program. Appropriates funds for office equipment and supplies, operational costs, and stipends for the Maunakea Scholars Program and Internship Program.
Amends various definitions of "moped" throughout the Hawaii Revised Statutes to exclude low-speed electric bicycles. Deletes an unused term from Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Establishes regulations for low-speed electric bicycles and clarifies the applicability of certain conflicting regulations that are applicable to all bicycles.
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.
Maddy summarySB 1153 would remove tips received by employees from state income tax calculations, meaning servers, bartenders, and other tipped workers would not pay state income tax on this income. The bill directly affects service industry employees who earn tips as part of their compensation. Its key provision excludes tips from gross income, adjusted gross income, and taxable income for state tax purposes. The bill is currently pending in committee review after being introduced on January 17, 2025.
