Sen. Joy San Buenaventura

Maddy summarySB 584 clarifies that the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) must include supporting aquaculture as part of its official duties. This bill directly affects NELHA, a state agency focused on renewable energy and marine research. The key provision simply adds aquaculture support to NELHA's existing responsibilities without creating new programs or funding. It is a procedural clarification of the agency's mandate, not a substantive policy change.

Amends the Hawaii renewable hydrogen program and hydrogen investment capital special fund to include a broader focus on long duration clean energy storage. Transfers responsibility for the program to the Hawaii State Energy Office. Appropriates funds.

Authorizes individuals who possess a commercial driver's license with a passenger "P" endorsement to provide pupil transportation student services without also possessing a school bus "S" endorsement in certain circumstances.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to achieve full funding status, including estimated payment increases, of Medicaid home- and community-based services.

Establishes the DLNRTip application as the official electronic platform for persons to report natural resource violations to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement. Creates statutory requirements regarding the design and maintenance of the DLNRTip application. Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure that all information submitted through the DLNRTip application is continuously monitored to facilitate timely enforcement responses. Requires annual reports. Authorizes 1.0 full-time equivalent position. Appropriates moneys.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Health for the Adult Mental Health Inpatient Program to secure contracts for the provision of forty psychiatric beds annually for the Hawaii State Hospital. Requires the Department of Health to include line-item funding for the Adult Mental Health Inpatient Program in its annual budget request beginning with fiscal year 2027-2028 to secure contracts for the provision of psychiatric beds for the Hawaii State Hospital.

Requires the Department of Health to establish and administer a three-year Rural Community Health Worker Pilot Program that enables community health workers to provide outreach, education, training, and navigation to individuals residing in rural communities in the State and address social determinants of health. Appropriates funds.

Authorizes each county director of finance to waive, for up to one year, certain abandoned vehicle tow, storage, and other charges, fees, and fines owed to the county.

Amends the definition of "child abuse or neglect" by clarifying that the failure to provide certain needs to a child constitutes child abuse or neglect only if the person or entity responsible for the care of the child is financially able to provide and fails to do so or is offered financial or other reasonable means to provide and fails to accept these offers.

Establishes a procedure for the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease fast lands and submerged lands that were destroyed by an event triggering a Presidential Disaster Declaration.