Sen. Kurt Fevella

Requires the Department of Education to administer a general dyslexia screening to all students in kindergarten through grade three. Requires the Department of Education to continue to administer the general English language arts universal screening for students in kindergarten through grade nine. Requires the Department of Education to collaborate with teacher training programs to ensure prospective candidates are trained on literacy instruction, including evidence-based intervention, to support all students. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Clarifies that projects seeking exemptions from planning and development laws and rules may be modified by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation under certain conditions. Authorizes HHFDC to make recommendations to appropriate Legislative bodies. Requires HHFDC or a county to accept an application seeking certain exemptions within thirty days, and to process the application within one hundred twenty days before final approval by a county legislative body for certain housing projects. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Creates an expedited permitting process to authorize the destruction or control of feral pigs on privately owned land, if the feral pigs have caused or are likely to cause substantial damage to agricultural or aquacultural crops, indigenous plants or wildlife, or pose a threat to human health and safety.

Maddy summarySB 500 clarifies labeling and advertising rules for coffee grown and processed entirely within the state, requiring producers to accurately state regional origin. It specifically defines what qualifies as "State-Grown" coffee to prevent misleading claims. This directly affects coffee producers and sellers operating within the state who market their products as locally sourced. The bill establishes clear standards to ensure consumers receive accurate information about the coffee's origin.

Establishes the State's Hospital Price Transparency Act. Prohibits hospitals from taking certain debt collection actions against a patient if the hospital is not in compliance with hospital price transparency laws. Allows patients and patient guarantors to file suit against hospitals in violation. Requires hospitals to make public and post their Medicare reimbursement rates no later than 10/1/25 and deems violations as an unfair and deceptive act or practice. Requires the Department of Health to conduct performance assessments of hospitals for adherence to federal transparency rules annually and make a list of hospitals with poor performance available on its website no later than 2/1/2026. Requires the Department of Health to adopt rules.

Requires appointments and selections of heads of state divisions and agencies that require a board approval to be made through a publicly established process and timeline. Requires the approval of the process and timeline to appoint or select a new head of a state division or agency to be determined in an open meeting. Requires that votes to appoint or select heads of state divisions and agencies be conducted in an open meeting. Provides that any vote to appoint or select a head of a state division or agency cast in violation of the foregoing shall be invalid. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)

Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish and administer a Biosecurity Fencing Cost-Sharing Program. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Allows newly graduated high school students to be eligible for workers' compensation coverage during the summer following their high school graduation while participating in Department of Education-sponsored work-based learning programs. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Designates the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice of each year as the Lunar New Year. Establishes the Lunar New Year as a state holiday. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Requires the Department of Transportation or appropriate county department when disposing of a deceased cat or dog from a public roadway to scan the animal for a microchip, record certain information, and report that information to the appropriate county animal services or animal service contractors. Appropriates funds.