Sen. Tim Richards

Establishes the Affordable Housing Land Inventory Task Force within the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct a study, subject to legislative appropriation, on how to maximize housing development in transit-oriented development zones or other areas on state or county lands. Requires a report to the Legislature. Establishes a position. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Permits film production on certain lands zoned for agricultural use under certain conditions, including obtaining land use special permits. Establishes the Agricultural Film Production Land Use Oversight Committee within the Creative Industries Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish film permit application requirements and processes, facilitate the issuance of special permits for film production on agricultural zoned parcels, and advise and make recommendations relating to the regulation of film productions on agricultural zoned lands. Requires DBEDT to adopt rules. Requires DBEDT to consult with state and county agencies to issue permits for film production within an agricultural district using the consolidated film permit process under certain circumstances. Includes temporary filming activities as a permissible conditional accessory use of lands within the agricultural district. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes a cooperative working group to address state projects that require county permitting and to explore, research, and make recommendations on streamlining processes. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/19/2042. (SD1)

Beginning 7/1/2027, authorizes state departments, divisions, and agencies to elect to assume hiring and recruitment functions from the Department of Human Resources Development for vacant civil service positions within that department, division, or agency under certain conditions. Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to adopt rules. Repeals existing law authorizing state departments, divisions, and agencies to conduct minimum qualification review of applicants for their vacant civil service positions. Effective 1/1/2077. (SD1)

Repeals statutory language that currently authorizes the Department of Law Enforcement to: (1) inspect a qualifying medical cannabis patient's medical records held by the health provider who issued a written certification for the qualifying patient; and (2) suspend or revoke a health provider's ability to issue written certification for medical cannabis if the provider refuses the foregoing inspection, or if the medical records do not comply with the medical use of cannabis law.

Allows the court to award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party in an action relating to discriminatory practices in a rental transaction based on source of income. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to award monthly rent supplement payments on behalf of qualified tenants under the State Rent Supplement Program prioritizing certain tenants, including kupuna. Authorizes the HPHA to enter into memoranda of agreement for rental supplement payments with the counties or specialized nonprofit organizations. Amends provisions relating to the State Rent Supplement Program. Establishes the State Rent Supplement Program Special Fund. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to assess a transaction tax for each applicable recording in the Office of the Assistant Registrar of the Land Court or the Bureau of Conveyances to be deposited into the State Rent Supplement Program Special Fund. Repeals the existing separate State Rent Supplement Program for Kupuna. Establishes four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) permanent public housing specialist II positions and one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent public housing specialist IV position within the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Program, to consist of a reimbursement program and a grant program within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, to assist certain farmers and livestock producers with transportation costs for agricultural products, inputs, supplies, and production and distribution of agricultural commodities. Establishes the Hawaii Agricultural Transportation Assistance Special Fund. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Maddy summarySB 2718 allocates funding to the Food Hub Pilot Program, which supports local food distribution networks connecting farmers to consumers. The bill directly affects food hubs - community-based centers that aggregate and distribute locally grown food - and the communities they serve. It establishes a temporary program (effective July 1, 2050) funded through state appropriations, with no specific eligibility rules detailed in the abstract. This is a funding measure, not a policy change to existing laws.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity a temporary Subsistence-Plus Gardening Pilot Program. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)