Appropriates funds for the Office of the Governor, in collaboration with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to oversee and administer grants to low-income residents, and condominium associations on behalf of low-income condominium owners, to fortify residential real property against hurricanes.
Allows tenants who prevail in a lawsuit for a violation of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code to be awarded damages, reasonable attorney's fees, and costs of the suit.
Establishes a 1-year Physician Licensing Subsidy Pilot Program within the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to provide subsidized licensing fees for eligible medical school graduates and out-of-state physicians applying for initial licensure in the State. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to collaborate with the Department of Health, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, and other stakeholders to promote the pilot program; adopt rules; and submit a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2026.
Appropriates funds for the Office of the Governor, in collaboration with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to strengthen existing hurricane shelters and develop new hurricane shelters to withstand category five hurricanes.
Maddy summarySB 680 removes biomass energy from the state's definition of "renewable energy" under the renewable portfolio standard. This change directly affects utilities and energy providers required to meet state renewable energy targets, as they can no longer count biomass generation toward those goals. The bill's key provision is a technical revision to the legal definition within the renewable energy standard. This policy change clarifies which energy sources qualify for compliance with the state's renewable energy requirements.
Beginning 1/1/2026, prohibits the issuance of building permits for new single-family dwellings that are part of a development of twenty or more dwellings and do not include a rooftop photovoltaic energy generating system, unless a variance is granted by the Hawaii State Energy Office. Authorizes the Hawaii State Energy Office to adopt administrative rules.
Maddy summarySB 1153 would remove tips received by employees from state income tax calculations, meaning servers, bartenders, and other tipped workers would not pay state income tax on this income. The bill directly affects service industry employees who earn tips as part of their compensation. Its key provision excludes tips from gross income, adjusted gross income, and taxable income for state tax purposes. The bill is currently pending in committee review after being introduced on January 17, 2025.
Appropriates funds for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to install one hundred monitoring wells to collect data and map the migration of the Red Hill contamination plume.
Authorizes school complexes to incorporate media literacy in their standards-based curriculum, including content that prevents negative impacts of misinformation, disinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech.
Amends the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to address carbon emissions. Incrementally increases the tax rate over time. Establishes a refundable tax credit to mitigate the effect of a carbon emissions tax on taxpayers. Reenacts the agricultural development and food security special fund. Requires reports to the Legislature.
