Increases the rate of compensation and maximum allowable amounts per case for court-appointed counsel and guardians ad litem in family court proceedings.
Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to consider as a preference under chapter 201H, HRS, the proximity between the housing location and the applicant's place of employment; whether the applicant is a state or county employee; and whether the applicant is a returning resident that left the State to attend a university, college, or trade school and has graduated within the past two years. Requires, for any project developed or administered by the HHFDC under chapter 201, HRS, the HHFDC to set aside as a matter of preference an undetermined per cent of available units for state or county employees, when feasible. Requires HHFDC to determine the order of preferences and rank applicants accordingly, select applicants based on application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants, and validate the preference status of applicants before occupancy of a unit. Authorizes HHFDC to adopt rules to establish additional eligibility criteria.
Increases the cap for awards to assist businesses applying for the Small Business Innovation Research Grant Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Program of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. Adds purchasing of renewable energy systems as an eligible expense and clarifies that training on both new and existing manufacturing equipment is an eligible expense for the Manufacturing Development Grant Program. Clarifies that no tax credit is available for renewable energy systems purchased with a grant received under the Manufacturing Development Grant Program.
Clarifies that the definition of "manufactured hemp products" in section 328G-1, HRS, includes hemp products specified in rules adopted by the Department of Health pursuant to section 328G-4, HRS.
Accelerates the dates for the required upgrades, conversions, or connections of priority level 1 and priority level 2 cesspools to 2035 and 2040, respectively. Appropriates funds to implement the cesspool compliance pilot grant program. Re-establishes a cesspool upgrade, conversion, or connection tax credit.
Revises registration, fee, reporting, and enforcement requirements for charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities with chapter 467B, HRS, requirements. Removes duplication of registration, fee, and reporting requirements for charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities.
Amends the University of Hawaii Tuition and Fees Special Fund by allowing the Board of Regents to dedicate funding for student aid in direct response to an emergency or disaster, as declared by the Governor. (SD1)
Deletes the term "agent of the contractor" in sections 28-17 and 846-2.7, HRS. Clarifies that contractors, contractor's employees, and subcontractors who have access to federal tax information held by the Department of the Attorney General may be subject to fingerprint-based background checks. (SD1)
Clarifies that Act 130, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, shall take effect on either the date of the Secretary of the Interior's notification letter to the Congressional Committee Chairpersons that this Act meets none of the criteria in title 43 Code of Federal Regulations section 48.20, or on the date that the United States Congress approval becomes law. (SD1)
Permanently exempts the software developer supervisor in the Department of Taxation and the data privacy officer and tax business analysts in the Director's office of the Department from civil service.
