Requires and appropriates moneys for the establishment of a 5-year nurse recertification pilot program to be administered by the Department of Health. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates moneys for the Department of Health to award scholarships to eligible nursing students who agree to teach nursing in Hawaii after graduating.
Establishes unspecified deadlines for the governor to appoint, and for political parties to nominate, individuals to fill certain state senatorial vacancies. Provides that if the Governor fails to appoint an individual to fill a state legislative vacancy by an applicable statutory deadline, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall make the appointment within an unspecified number of calendar days after the deadline.
Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits to implement SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real-time by 1/1/2026. Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits in areas served by an investor-owned electric utility to adopt a self-certification process for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ compatible.
Maddy summarySB 46 requires all health insurers in the state, including Medicaid managed care programs, to cover annual mental health wellness examinations. This bill directly affects health insurers and Medicaid programs by mandating coverage for these specific check-ups. The key provision is the requirement for insurers to provide this preventive care without cost-sharing for enrollees. The bill aims to improve access to routine mental health screenings as a standard benefit.
Establishes an exemption from applicable county permit requirements for repetitive construction projects for facilities under the control of any state department or agency, under certain conditions. Clarifies that contracts for the construction, renovation, or repair of facilities under the control of the department of education, university of Hawaii, or school facilities authority shall be exempt from county permitting requirements that related off-site improvements be made by the contracting government agency as a condition to the issuance of any permit.
Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to maximize the amount of housing built that utilizes loans from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund by prioritizing projects with the shortest projected loan repayment terms that produce the highest number of units, per dollar, per year. Repeals all other priorities and preferences for projects utilizing the RHRF.
Maddy summarySB 755 designates each county as the authority responsible for managing special management areas within its own boundaries. This procedural bill adjusts existing county responsibilities by formally assigning this role to local governments, with no new policies or financial impacts. It makes minor technical changes to align county management authority with current law, affecting only county-level administrative functions. The bill is currently in early committee review (referred January 23, 2025).
Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules establishing privacy requirements for directtoconsumer 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.
Requires each public school to implement a policy to prohibit students from using cellular phones and other wireless communication devices during school hours, subject to exceptions for education, health, and emergencies.
Prohibits the Department of Health from issuing permits for commercial burning of green waste products in residential areas or within one thousand feet of a residential property.
