Sen. Kurt Fevella

Revises tax map key numbers and the conveyance process by which identified properties are conveyed to the Department of Education pursuant to Act 307, SLH 2022. Directs the conveyance to the County of Kauai of certain lands held by the Department of Education. Directs the conveyance of land on which Kaimuki Middle School is located from the City and County of Honolulu to the Department of Education. Clarifies that land dispositions of school buildings, facilities, and grounds made by the DOE shall not require approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources when these dispositions are for periods exceeding one year. (CD1)

Clarifies the Ninety-Nine Year Leasehold Program by: (1) allowing the Hawaii Community Development Authority to prohibit renting, advertising for rent, or using for any other purpose other than owner-occupied residential use a residential condominium unit, by rule, rather than statutorily; (2) exempting the design, development, and construction contracts from procurement requirements, subject to prevailing wage requirements for laborers and mechanics; (3) requiring HCDA to adopt rules to implement an initial sales period during which residential condominium units are offered only to eligible buyers for owner-occupied residential use; (4) authorizing the sale of a residential condominium unit that is not subject to an income restriction and was not sold within a certain period to be sold to other buyers, as determined by rule by HCDA, without an owner-occupancy requirement; (5) requiring HCDA to adopt rules that require at least sixty per cent of residential condominium units to be income restricted; and (6) requiring HCDA to establish rules to require buyback pricing similar to other state agencies' existing pricing formulas. (CD1)

Allows a retirant to be employed without reenrollment in the Employees' Retirement System and without loss or interruption of retirement benefits if the retirant is employed as a school resource officer identified by the Department of Law Enforcement or other law enforcement agency as a labor shortage or difficult-to-fill position and stationed at a public school, subject to certain conditions. Establishes criteria for various agencies to use in identifying labor shortage or difficult-to-fill positions. Requires the director of human resources of the appropriate state jurisdiction or the human resources management chief executive of each county to include in their annual reports to the Legislature, details on the employment of retirants as school resource officers. (CD1)

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish performance-based incentives, including revenue adjustment mechanisms, cost control mechanisms, and reward and penalty mechanisms on or before 1/1/2027. Clarifies that the Public Utilities Commission is authorized to adopt alternative ratemaking procedures to establish electric utility rates and performance-based incentives. (CD1)

Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop and implement a project to improve portions of Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor while ensuring public access, as envisioned by the 2022 University of Hawaii Community Design Center Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor Vision Report. Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease the remaining portion of Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor; provided that the lease shall expire on or before 6/30/2046. Repeals provisions relating to the leasing of certain fast and submerged lands of Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. (CD1)

Requires purchasing agencies to apply a five per cent flat rate local preference in evaluating bids or proposals from qualified Hawaii bidders or offerors who submit a timely preference certification. Establishes criteria for a bid or proposal to qualify for a local preference. Establishes requirements for the qualification and certification of Hawaii bidders and offerors and consequences for failure to maintain qualification. Requires the Procurement Policy Board to adopt rules. (CD1)

Requires veterinarians to provide a written prescription, upon the request of a client, for any animal patient of a client with whom the veterinarian has established an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship, to be filled at the pharmacy of the client's choosing. Allows pharmacies licensed in the State to dispense medications prescribed by veterinarians. Specifies that violators may be subject to disciplinary action by the Hawaii Board of Veterinary Medicine, which may include fines or suspension or revocation of a license. (CD1)

Establishes an order of succession for an Interim Chief Election Officer in the event of a vacancy in the position of Chief Election Officer until the Elections Commission appoints a new Chief Election Officer. (CD1)

Authorizes counties to require contractors to disclose employee wage, benefit, hour, and employment‑status information. Authorizes counties to deny, revoke, or suspend building permits for violations of related laws under certain conditions. Establishes a process by which an owner or developer may replace a noncompliant contractor and transfer the building permit to the replacement contractor. Exempts from the denial, revocation, and suspension, building permit applications submitted by an owner-occupant for work performed on the owner-occupant's residence. (CD1)

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution asks Hawaii's Department of Education to study how mental health-related absences affect student attendance and well-being. The study will examine how often students miss school due to mental health concerns, review policies in other states that allow such absences, and evaluate whether recognizing these absences as excused could improve student outcomes. The Department of Education must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature by the end of 2026. This bill does not change current attendance policies but instead requests data collection and analysis to inform potential future policy changes.