Sen. Mike Gabbard

Maddy summarySB 1241 creates a tax exemption for certain medical services, including dental care, by removing a general excise tax that would otherwise apply. This directly affects medical providers who offer these services, as they will no longer owe the tax on qualifying treatments. The bill establishes specific exemptions for services like dental care, reducing their tax burden under current law. It does not change patient costs but alters the tax obligation for healthcare providers offering these services.

Creates the Aloha Aina Land Trust to rehabilitate and manage lands transferred by the United States military to the State after the leases for those lands expires. Appropriates funds.

Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct an integrated land use study for the use of lands within the agricultural districts and submit interim and final reports to the Legislature.

Maddy summarySB 791 prohibits the use of specific food dye additives in meals served to students through the state Department of Education and charter schools. It directly affects public and charter schools by banning certain artificial dyes from their meal programs. The key provision requires schools to remove these additives from all food items provided as part of school meals. This bill focuses solely on school nutrition standards, without impacting other food sales or requiring new labeling.

Requires state agencies that monitor environmental toxins and pollutants to establish environmental action levels (EALs) to ensure the preservation of a safe environment. Prohibits modifications to EALs unless certain procedural requirements are met. Establishes a process to allow any resident to petition for modifications to an established EAL.

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.