Appropriates funds to the Department of Accounting and General Services to hire a consultant to evaluate potential locations and designs for the Hawaii First Responders Memorial.
Changes the fees that a towing company may charge to tow vehicles left unattended on private and public property. Prohibits a towing company or parking management company from installing immobilization devices on motor vehicles. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Maddy summarySB 1497 establishes a Rare Disease Advisory Council within the state Department of Health to provide guidance on the needs of individuals with rare diseases. The council will advise the state on policy and resource allocation specifically for rare disease patients. This bill directly affects residents diagnosed with rare diseases and the health department responsible for addressing their care needs. The key mechanism is creating a formal advisory body to ensure patient perspectives inform state health decisions, without changing existing healthcare programs. The bill is currently pending introduction for the 2026 session.
Authorizes state facilities to wheel electricity produced by their own facility from renewable energy sources to other state facilities pursuant to administrative rules or orders established by the Public Utilities Commission. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit a report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD2)
Authorizes physicians to practice at organized ambulatory health care facilities even if the physician does not have hospital privileges at a licensed hospital in the same geographic location as the ambulatory facility. Provides that a written transfer agreement is not required to transfer a patient from an organized ambulatory health care facility to a licensed hospital.
Authorizes the Hawaii State Energy Office to adopt certain federal regulations as they existed on 1/1/2025, that it deems to be in the public interest.
Establishes a nonrefundable income tax credit for taxpayers who construct or install improvements to their residence that increase the residence's fire safety rating as calculated by the taxpayer's homeowner's insurance policy. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2025. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD1)
Maddy summarySB 638 requires most employers to provide employees with paid breaks during work shifts. It directly affects all covered employers and their employees in the state, mandating specific break periods as part of employment practices. The key provision is a straightforward requirement for employers to schedule and compensate these breaks, though the exact duration or frequency isn't detailed in the abstract. The bill is currently pending in committee review and has not yet become law.
Establishes an Early Learning Apprenticeship Grant Program to be administered by the University of Hawaii to provide financial support for early learning program service providers in the State to participate in state- or federally-approved early learning apprenticeship programs. Requires an annual report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)
Appropriates funds for the Family Health Services Division of the Department of Health to establish and oversee peer-to-peer support programs for children from birth to age five and their families, including the establishment of two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) program specialist positions.
