Sen. Kurt Fevella

By 1/1/2027, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2028, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program.

Prohibits the licensing of an adult residential care home, expanded adult residential care home, or developmental disabilities domiciliary home that is financed, managed, operated, supervised, directed, or owned in whole or in part by a person convicted of a gambling offense.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to ensure that the inherent and inalienable right of the people, including future generations, to clean water and air, a healthful environment and climate, healthy native ecosystems, and beaches, shall be protected and shall not be infringed.

Establishes the Hawaii Food Security Special Fund to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit levels to those provided in federal fiscal year 2023. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Establishes a paid family leave program for state and county employees. Authorizes a qualifying employee to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth or placement of a child or to care for a family member who has a serious health condition. Requires the employee to agree to subsequently work for the employer for at least 12 weeks upon return to service except under certain conditions.

Repeals existing law that preempted local ordinances or regulations that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices and nullified and voided any conflicting local laws and regulations. Allows counties to adopt ordinances that regulate the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices that do not conflict with and are more stringent than the state law that govern smoking.

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds to the Agricultural Development Corporation for the purchase of the North Kohala Kynnersly East Site Land Parcel for agricultural development.

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.

Requires tire retailers to collect and submit to the Department of Health certain information relating to tires sold by the retailer. Requires the Department of Health to establish and maintain a database containing this information.

Maddy summarySB 655 designates September 2nd of each year as "Richard 'Buffalo' Keaulana Day" to honor Richard Keaulana's contributions. This commemorative bill has no policy provisions or direct impact on laws, programs, or specific groups. It is purely symbolic, recognizing an individual through an annual observance. The bill was introduced and passed first reading in January 2025, with no further legislative action noted.