Establishes the Early Childhood Education Scholarship Program within the University of Hawaii to assist students with school tuition in return for a service commitment to teach in the Executive Office on Early Learning Public Prekindergarten Program. Appropriates funds.
Requires the Department of Health to establish and implement a program to improve and increase support for emergency medical services in the State. Requires the Department of Health to submit reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.
Requires the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to partner with a nonprofit organization in the Kau District in the County of Hawaii to conduct a needs assessment to determine the demand for and access to urgent care and outpatient behavioral health services in Kau. Requires a report to the Legislature.
Establishes a criminal penalty and monetary fines for aquarium fishing violations. Clarifies that each fish or aquatic life specimen taken in violation of certain fishing laws regarding aquarium fish and the possession and use of prohibited explosives, electrofishing devices, and poisonous substances constitutes a separate offense.
Exempts state projects from county building permit, inspection, and certificate of occupancy requirements under certain conditions. Requires the state agency responsible for the state project to submit for review and comments, a building permit exemption notice to the county in which the state project is located. Requires the county to review and submit written comments regarding the state project within thirty days of its receipt of notice and if on the thirty-first day, written comments are not provided, the state project may proceed. Requires the counties to adopt ordinances. Defines building permit, state agency, state lands, and state project.
Establishes and funds an environmental investigative hotline pilot project through the Environmental Management Division of the Department of Health to implement and manage an investigative hotline for Molokai residents to report environmental concerns on Molokai. Establishes one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) investigator on the island of Molokai to investigate environmental concerns. Makes an appropriation.
Establishes an excise tax of 25 cents for e-liquid cartridges and fifteen per cent of the wholesale price of open system eliquid sold, used, or possessed by a wholesaler or dealer on or after 7/1/2023. Defines and amends related terms. Makes conforming amendments.
Requires each county's Director of Finance, in consultation with the County Examiner of Drivers, to establish an Interpreter Services Program to assist Compact of Free Association citizens with utilizing the services provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles of each county. Appropriates funds.
Defines "incidental and supplemental work" for purposes of specialty contractors under the contractors law.
Requires compensation benefits for volunteer firefighters who are injured or killed in the line of duty to be determined based on equivalent firefighter pay based on years of service and rank, rather than on a rate of $18 per week.
