Sen. Mike Gabbard

Maddy summarySB 692 regulates the sale of spray paint at both retail and wholesale levels. It directly affects businesses that sell spray paint, requiring them to comply with new rules. The bill designates the Department of Law Enforcement to oversee and enforce these regulations. The measure is currently pending before the committee, having been deferred after a scheduled hearing.

Authorizes the Department of Education to award a high school diploma to qualified persons who did not receive a high school diploma as a result of compulsory or voluntary induction into the armed services of the United States or whose high school education was interrupted due to wartime practices during World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Appropriates funds for the agricultural loan program to offer loans with an interest rate cap of four per cent; a line of credit program with a prevailing interest rate; and loans with an interest rate cap of three per cent for new farmers that commit to growing import replacement crops and farm-to-state programs.

Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to establish a permanent Return-to-Home program to return homeless individuals in the State to families and relatives in their home states. Requires the Office to report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summarySB 688 appropriates state funds to establish grant specialist positions within the Department of Agriculture. These specialists will directly support the department’s administration of agricultural grant programs, helping farmers and agribusinesses navigate funding applications. The bill becomes effective on July 1, 2050, and does not alter existing grant eligibility or funding amounts. It directly affects the Department of Agriculture by adding staff roles focused on grant management.

Requires the Department of Education to identify an absence due to the mental health of a student as an excused absence. Defines the term "excused absence". Exempts an absence due to the mental health of a student from the enforcement of penalties relating to compulsory attendance at school. Limits the number of excused absences that may be taken by a student due to mental health reasons.

Requires Huli Au Ola to conduct a study on physician and dentist recruitment and retention to serve the island of Molokai. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)

Requires the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Program to design and implement a plan to increase jobs that strengthen emergency preparedness and climate resilience. Authorizes the use of the Energy Security Special Fund to advance the State's goals of strengthening emergency preparedness and climate mitigation.

Establishes provisions governing any person who receives compensation for advising, assisting, or consulting another person with veterans benefits. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)

Maddy summarySB 545 prohibits public schools and public charter schools under the Department of Education from serving meals containing synthetic substances, as defined by the bill. It directly affects school meal programs by requiring the elimination of these substances from all food served to students. The bill also establishes a formal definition for "synthetic substances" to clarify what is prohibited. The bill is currently pending in committee after being introduced in January 2025 and carried over to the 2026 session.