Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Requires the Agribusiness Development Corporation to develop a succession planning education program to educate and assist farmers and ranchers in the process of transitioning agricultural businesses to new owners. Requires the program to connect individuals interested in entering farming or ranching, or existing farmers or ranchers interested in expanding their business, with farmers and ranchers who have not yet identified a successor owner. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summarySB 567 establishes an income tax credit for individuals who pay for medically-related travel expenses not covered by insurance. The bill directly affects residents who incur out-of-pocket costs for transportation related to medical care, such as trips to specialists or treatment facilities. Key provisions allow these individuals to reduce their state income tax liability by claiming the credit for eligible travel costs. This policy change provides a concrete financial benefit for people facing uncovered medical transportation expenses.

Requires lot owners in subdivisions that are not planned communities to pay for the repair and maintenance of subdivision roads. Authorizes counties to assess and collect fees for repair and maintenance of subdivision roads if no courtappointed or deeddesignated entity is authorized to do so. Requires counties to provide certain services to associations. Restricts provisions to counties having a population greater than 200,000 but less than 500,000. Extends the reporting date and sunset date for the working group established pursuant to Act 200, SLH 2022. Appropriates moneys.

Establishes a working group within the Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive study to assess the State's port and harbor system and the potential viability of each location in that system to support current and future agricultural product transportation methods and needs. Requires a report. Appropriates moneys.

Requires claims of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by first responders to be compensable under workers' compensation under certain conditions if the post-traumatic stress disorder resulted from the first responder acting within the course and scope of the first responder's employment. Defines "first responder." Exempts injuries caused by post-traumatic stress disorder from certain time limitations applicable to workers' compensation claims.

Establishes the Board of Lactation Consultants of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and requires that lactation consultants be licensed by the board.

Establishes a spay and neuter special fund. Establishes a spay and neuter special fund advisory committee to develop eligibility criteria for and manage the disbursement of the special fund. Authorizes, and requires the Director of Taxation to amend the individual state income tax form to facilitate, the designation of tax refund moneys to be paid to the spay and neuter special fund. Appropriates moneys into and out of the special fund.

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, requires the Department of Education to require the teaching of financial literacy to be included in the existing personal transition plan requirement for each student.

Requires counties to commission a comprehensive economic impact analysis before issuing tax increment bonds and make the analysis publicly available. Requires counties issuing tax increment bonds to conduct publicly available biennial independent audits and report to the Legislature. Requires counties issuing tax increment bonds to establish a review board to oversee tax increment bond projects. Restricts the amount of total outstanding tax increment bonds that may be excluded from the calculation of a county's debt limits from exceeding twenty per cent. Conforms county debt limit statements law to exclude tax increment bonds from the debt limit of the counties if a constitutional amendment authorizing the use of tax increment bonds and excluding tax increment bonds from determinations of the counties' funded debt is ratified.

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.