Sen. Troy Hashimoto

Maddy summarySB 2743 exempts specific agricultural buildings, structures, and related equipment (such as barns, storage sheds, or farm machinery shelters) from standard building permit requirements and code regulations. This directly affects farmers and agricultural businesses that construct or maintain these qualifying structures on farmland. The bill removes the need for permits under typical building codes for these agricultural uses, streamlining construction processes for farm operations. It does not apply to residential, commercial, or non-agricultural buildings.

Requires sellers or providers of emotional support animals, as well as those issuing verifications of a disability-related need for an emotional support animal, to provide written notice of certain laws relating to emotional support animals. Requires persons or businesses that sell or provide certificates, vests, or identification tags that identify an animal as an emotional support animal to provide to the buyer or recipient written notice of certain laws relating to emotional support animals. Establishes penalties.

Requires hotelkeepers to provide adequate notice of service disruptions to third-party vendors and prospective and current guests under certain conditions. Prohibits hotelkeepers from imposing any fee, penalty, or other charge and from retaining any deposit of a guest who cancels a reservation if a service disruption is likely to exist during the period of the reservation. Requires any hotelkeeper that violates or causes another person to violate this Act to forfeit to the injured party three times the amount of the sum charged in excess of what the hotelkeeper is entitled to.

Requires the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, fire chiefs, Law Enforcement Standards Board, and Department of Health to provide or require the provision of at least 1 hour of dementia‑specific training for first responders, including law enforcement officers, fire first responders, and emergency medical services personnel. Requires the Executive Office on Aging to review and recommend dementia-specific training curricula that address the recognition and signs of Alzheimer's disease and related types of dementia.

Provides elective officers with the choice to be members of the Employees' Retirement System after each election. Repeals the condition that a choice to be excluded from the Employees' Retirement System is irrevocable and such choice may only be made once.

Requires state and county law enforcement agencies to notify an individual in the custody of a state or county law enforcement agency of their rights before any interview with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pertaining to certain matters regarding civil immigration violations can commence. Designates all records relating to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to detained individuals provided by a state or local law enforcement agency as public records. Requires state and county law enforcement agencies that have provided the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a detained individual within the previous year to hold two public forums per year.

Lowers the age to obtain a state civil identification card without a signature from a parent or guardian from eighteen years old to sixteen years old.

Applies the retail or higher general excise tax or use tax rate to purchases or imports of new motor vehicles by rental car companies. Appropriates funds for a position in the Department of Taxation.

Requires counties to revoke licenses for the sale of fireworks for licensees that have violated restriction on the sale of fireworks. Prohibits licensees that have violated restrictions on the sale of fireworks from obtaining a new license.

Renames the Electric Bicycle and Electric Moped Rebate Program to the Electric Mobility Rebate Program. Expands eligibility and amends the maximum rebate amounts. Allows for the registration of class 3 electric bicycles that have wheels smaller than twenty inches and that are intended for adult use. Establishes safe riding behaviors for electric bicycles. Prohibits the operation of high-speed electric devices in certain locations. Establishes labeling and signage requirements for electric bicycles. Prohibits the operation of a moped or electric motorcycle in certain locations. Amends the definition of "bicycle" for purposes of county vehicular taxes. Defines "electric micro-mobility device" and requires the same regulations as electric foot scooters to apply to electric micro-mobility devices. Prohibits a person under the age of sixteen from operating a class 3 electric bicycle. Authorizes a person under the age of fourteen to operate class 2 electric bicycles under supervision. Prohibits a person from riding a class 3 electric bicycle on a sidewalk. Authorizes a person to ride a class 1 or class 2 electric bicycle on a sidewalk under certain circumstances. Prohibits a person from operating a bicycle or electric foot scooter under the age of eighteen without a helmet. Repeals the requirement that moped drivers use bicycle lanes. Changes the term "motor scooter" to "motor‑driven vehicle".