Sen. Dru Kanuha

Expands the general excise tax exemption established by Act 47, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, to include amounts received by optometrists, audiologists, and chiropractors, for healthcare-related goods or services purchased under the Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE programs.

Appropriates funds to support educational training programs to expand the State's health care workforce. Allocates funds to the Department of Education for health care certificate programs and classroom renovations for health care training in public high schools. Allocates funds to the University of Hawaii for education programs that support certified nurse assistants in becoming licensed practical nurses.

Maddy summarySB 408 would allocate state funds to the Department of Education to raise per-pupil spending to $18,000 annually for public schools. This directly affects all K-12 public school districts and students in the state by increasing available funding per student. The key provision is the specific appropriation target of $18,000 per student, which would require the Department to distribute these funds to school districts. The bill does not alter existing education policies or programs, only establishing a new funding level.

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.

Establishes the Accessible Wilderness and State Parks Trails Program within the Division of State Parks of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Establishes the Accessible Wilderness and State Parks Trails Program Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summarySB 377 would exempt medical services - including doctor visits, hospital care, and related health treatments - from the general excise tax, a tax currently applied to many services in the state. This change would directly affect patients receiving medical care (reducing their out-of-pocket costs) and healthcare providers (who would no longer collect or remit this tax on medical services). The key provision removes the tax requirement specifically for medical services, making them tax-free while leaving other services subject to the tax. The bill is currently pending committee review after introduction in January 2025.

Requires the State Fire Marshal to establish a Statewide Firefighting Helicopter Program. Appropriates funds for the State Fire Marshal to obtain helicopters, facilities equipment, drones, and supplies; hire and train staff; and do other things necessary to ensure that the Program is ready to begin providing aerial firefighting services on 7/1/2026.

Designates the Department of Land and Natural Resources as the primary agency for the trapping of feral goats, sheep, and pigs. Requires the Department to establish a program to humanely manage populations of feral goats, sheep, and pigs in the State by trapping.

Maddy summarySB 569 funds an additional ambulance for the island of Hawaii, specifically based in Makalei, to support local emergency medical services. The bill provides operational funding for this new ambulance, directly affecting residents on the island who rely on emergency response in that area. It does not change existing health policies but allocates state resources to expand ambulance coverage on Hawaii Island. This is a straightforward funding measure, not a policy change.

Requires the State or a county to reimburse an officer or employee within thirty calendar days of a request for reimbursement for travel costs that the officer or employee loaned to the State or a county. Requires the State or a county to pay a percentage of interest on the total amount owed to an officer or employee until the loan is fully reimbursed.