Sen. Ron Kouchi

Maddy summarySB 1304 allocates state funds to the Department of Agriculture to continue monitoring pesticide drift near schools statewide. This bill directly affects schools and students by requiring regular checks for pesticide spray drifting from nearby farms into school grounds. The key provision is appropriating money specifically for ongoing monitoring programs, ensuring schools can track potential exposure to pesticide residues. It maintains an existing program rather than creating new requirements. The bill passed committee with support from four senators, advancing toward potential passage.

Establishes the Universal Immunization Funding Program as a universal funding model for immunization purchases by the Department of Health, to increase statewide access to immunizations for all persons under age sixty-five. Establishes the Universal Immunization Purchase Special Fund, into which fees collected from assessed entities and other sources of funding will be deposited, for purposes of bulk purchasing immunizations and administering the program. Appropriates funds. (CD2)

Authorizes the Hawaii Medical Board, as a state of principal license, to investigate and request criminal history records of qualified physicians seeking licensure or license renewal through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. (CD1)

Repeals the requirement that a portion of the fees collected for certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, or death certificates issued by the Department of Health be deposited to the credit of the general fund. Repeals the Birth Defects Special Fund. Requires a portion of fees collected for issuance of marriage licenses to be deposited into the Vital Statistics Improvement Special Fund. (CD1)

Maddy summarySB 281 defines torture as a criminal act and classifies it as a class A felony - the most serious criminal charge - making it illegal for government officials to inflict severe physical or mental suffering. The bill directly affects law enforcement and other public officials who might commit such acts, establishing clear legal consequences. Its key provision creates a specific criminal offense with enhanced penalties, replacing vague standards with a defined legal framework. The bill is currently under committee review and has not yet been enacted into law.

Authorizes the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of property abandoned or seized in federal public housing projects. Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to notify the known owner of the abandoned or seized property. Establishes procedures for persons entitled to the abandoned or seized property. (CD1)

Maddy summarySB 1452 updates Hawaii's Chapter 329 (Uniform Controlled Substance Act) to align with recent federal changes required under state law. It directly affects Hawaii's legal framework for regulating controlled substances, ensuring state law matches federal classifications without adding new restrictions. The bill makes technical updates to state statutes to maintain consistency with the federal Controlled Substances Act, impacting law enforcement, healthcare providers, and individuals subject to substance control laws in Hawaii. This is a procedural alignment bill, not a policy change creating new regulations.

Clarifies chapter 480J, HRS, regulating installment lenders. Replaces the term "consumer loan" with the defined term "installment loan" for consistency throughout the installment loan chapter. Requires loan maintenance fees to be prorated daily. Allows lenders to charge a convenience fee. Requires paper receipts only for in-person or cash payments and removes consumer names from receipts. Repeals the requirement for lenders to wait three days after a consumer fully repays a loan before issuing a new installment loan. Sunsets 6/30/2030. (CD1)

Establishes the Veterans Cemeteries Board within the Office of Veterans' Services of the Department of Defense to provide veterans cemeteries in the State with guidance, education, technical assistance, and other support to ensure compliance with standards set by the National Cemetery Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (CD1)

Conforms Hawaii income and estate and generation-skipping transfer tax laws to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended as of December 31, 2024. (CD1)