Sen. Kurt Fevella

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 187) urges Hawaii's Department of Education to create a pilot program at Ewa Beach Elementary School. The program would offer ice cream as a dessert option to students with good attendance, aiming to motivate regular school participation through positive reinforcement. The resolution requires the Department to monitor the pilot's effectiveness and submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Legislature by 2027. It directly affects students at Ewa Beach Elementary School who maintain consistent attendance.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 170) requests the State Auditor to audit how the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) spent $600 million appropriated under Act 279 (2022), which aimed to eliminate a waitlist of over 28,000 native Hawaiian beneficiaries for land and housing. It specifically targets DHHL's compliance with reporting requirements under Act 279, following the department's failure to submit its required 2024 Annual Activity Report detailing fund usage and beneficiary assistance. The audit will verify whether funds were properly allocated to projects like land development and housing, as mandated by Act 279 and the 2020 Beneficiaries Study.

Maddy summarySCR 189 is a procedural resolution requesting the State Auditor to audit how the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) used $600 million in funds appropriated under Act 279 (2022). It specifically requires an audit of DHHL's spending to eliminate the waitlist for native Hawaiian beneficiaries, as the department has not submitted its required Annual Activity Report for 2024. The resolution stems from concerns that over 28,700 beneficiaries remain on the waitlist despite the funding, and DHHL reportedly allocated the full $600 million by early 2025 without proper reporting. This is a transparency measure, not a policy change, directly affecting DHHL's accountability for public funds.

Establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State of Hawaii, to begin with the 2028 general election year. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to submit reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Maddy summarySCR 236 is a non-binding resolution requesting Honolulu to create a central towing authority to manage towing contracts and services. It addresses concerns about overcharging, citing a 2023 incident where a towing company charged $900 for 15 minutes of service, and aims to ensure fair pricing for residents. The resolution urges Honolulu to divide Oahu into districts, contract multiple towing companies per district, and cancel existing towing contracts where possible. This would shift oversight from individual contracts to a centralized system for greater transparency and efficiency.

Maddy summarySCR 235 is a resolution requesting Hawaii's Department of Law Enforcement to work with Honolulu to create fair policies for towing and disposing of vehicles abandoned on public property that belong to active-duty military members. It specifically requires these policies to comply with federal law, provide notice to deployed servicemembers if their vehicle is towed, and balance the needs of residents affected by abandoned vehicles. The resolution does not create new law but asks for practical procedures to address a common issue when military members deploy.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 191) urges the Hawaii Department of Human Services to increase reimbursement rates for primary care physicians treating patients enrolled in Med-Quest, Hawaii's Medicaid program. It states current rates are too low to cover costs, lack inflation adjustments, and don't account for physician experience, contributing to a decline in physicians accepting Med-Quest patients (from 75% to 10% in private practice over a decade). The resolution does not require the Department to act but formally requests rate increases to maintain access to primary care for Med-Quest beneficiaries. As a non-binding resolution, it expresses legislative concern without creating new law.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges Hawaii's Department of Education to create a pilot program at Ewa Beach Elementary School offering ice cream as a dessert option to students with good attendance. The program would run as a temporary initiative to incentivize regular school attendance, with the DOE required to evaluate its effectiveness and report findings to the Legislature by 2027. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests this specific school-based incentive program.

Maddy summarySCR 185 is a concurrent resolution urging the Hawaii Legislature to require mandatory inquiries into all child fatalities and serious injuries involving children in state child welfare services. It directly affects the Department of Human Services (DHS) and child welfare cases, seeking to replace reliance on costly lawsuits with systematic investigations. The resolution requests that DHS conduct these inquiries for every incident, rather than waiting for legal action after harm occurs. It cites numerous past cases where DHS failed to act on warnings, leading to preventable deaths and injuries, but does not create new laws or alter existing policies.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 206) requests the Hawaii Department of Education to stop mandating that students attend schools outside their designated service area, specifically citing the Kapolei complex's overcrowding caused by requiring Nanakuli-area students to attend Kapolei schools. It proposes resolving overcrowding by allowing students to attend schools in their home complex (Nanakuli) instead of implementing multi-tracking. The resolution argues this would balance student distribution in the Leeward District without the need for multi-tracking, which studies show lowers test scores and increases stress. As a procedural request, it does not create new law but asks the DOE to change its current practice.