Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Establishes the housing assistance program, to be carried out by the housing assistance program coordinator, within the department of human services to provide state grants and rental subsidies to private property owners who set aside, construct, or improve accessory dwelling units on their properties and rent the units to families or individuals who are homeless. Establishes the temporary housing assistance program commission and positions to support the housing assistance program. Appropriates funds. Sunsets 6/30/2027.

Establishes a temporary fetal alcohol spectrum disorders task force within the Department of Health for administrative purposes. Requires a report to the Legislature. Establishes the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders special fund, to be administered by the Department of Human Services, and which shall consist of federal funds and interest earned on those funds.

Requires the HTA to create educational videos, educational audio recordings, and supplementary informative paper material to be provided and distributed on incoming commercial flights.

Removes discriminatory requirements for mandatory insurance coverage of in vitro fertilization procedures to create parity of coverage for same-sex couples, unmarried women, and male-female couples for whom male infertility is the relevant factor.

Requires each house of the legislature to establish by its rule, procedures that enables the legislature to use remote testimony at legislative committee hearings, enable the public to present oral testimony at legislative committee hearings through remote testimony, and accommodate persons with disabilities though remote testimony. Defines "remote testimony".

Prohibits health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations from excluding coverage of a service solely because the service is provided through telehealth and not through face-to-face contact. Requires parity between telehealth services and face-to-face services for purposes of deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, benefit limits, and utilization reviews.

Authorizes the department of land and natural resources to issue temporary permits to allow otherwise prohibited acts when the species affected is designated as threatened and authorizes the department to also suspend or revoke those temporary permits for due cause for two years.

Establishes limits on the government's use of facial recognition systems, with certain specified exceptions.

Appropriates funds to expand the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program by: (1) contracting with third party service providers and staffing consultants and (2) recruiting more volunteers.

Proposes an amendment to article V, section 2, of the Hawaii State Constitution to require that each gubernatorial nominee appoint a person from the same political party to be a running mate for Lieutenant Governor in the general election. Proposes an amendment to article V, section 4, of the Constitution to provide when the office of the governor is vacant, the Lieutenant Governor shall temporarily have the powers and duties of the office; provided that if a certain number of days remain in the gubernatorial term, a special election shall elect a Governor and Lieutenant Governor, who shall serve from the date of the certification of the special election results to the end of the vacated term.