Creates penalty for health care providers who fail to provide auxiliary aids or services to patients with a communication disability.
Changes drug paraphernalia use, possession, and delivery offenses from felonies to civil violations.
Establishes a two-year agricultural theft and vandalism pilot project to examine the effectiveness of prosecuting agricultural theft and agricultural vandalism in the county of Hawaii. Appropriates funds.
Requires building permit applicant and their subcontractors to have and verify workers' compensation coverage or an exemption from coverage. Requires coordinated communication between county building permitting agencies and the Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to ensure compliance.
Requires the department of business, economic development, and tourism to conduct a feasibility study on the viability of an integrated, multi-crop production system for palm-based vegetable oil for producing raw vegetable oil that can be refined into biofuel and to submit a report on the department's findings and recommendations to the legislature. Appropriates funds.
Clarifies how the Ethics Commission may provide guidance and resolve allegations of violations.
Makes an appropriation, subject to the availability of matching funds, to UH to conduct any studies necessary to ascertain the feasibility and benefits of establishing a small satellite launch and processing facility in the State, as well as to conduct any related public outreach programs.
Increases fines for failures to timely file financial disclosure statements. Allows the state ethics commission to use email or first-class mail to notify those individuals who fail to timely file their financial disclosure statements. Directs the commission to publish the names of individuals who fail to file their financial disclosure statements by the statutory deadline.
Makes changes to the laws governing lobbyists. Amends the definition of "expenditure," "lobbyist," and "lobbying." Allows a person who employs a lobbyist to file a notice of termination. Amends reporting requirements for reports covering special sessions of the legislature. Requires that lobbyist registration statements be posted on the state ethics commission's website within a reasonable time after filing and remain on the website for at least 4 years.
Requires the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to establish and maintain an online database of all reports to the legislature made by the judiciary and each department, board, commission, or officer of the State or any of its political subdivisions. Requires the website be online and accessible to the public by 1/1/2018.
