Sen. Ron Kouchi

Authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease public lands for recreational-residential use by public lottery and restrict participation in the public lottery to residents of the county in which the leased land is located. Lowers the maximum term for a lease of public lands for recreational-residential use to five years. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)

Enhances sharing of critical infrastructure information between infrastructure owners and operators and the state government. Defines and protects "critical infrastructure information" that is crucial for direct support of the security and resilience of the State. Provides homeland security partners with reassurance that their proprietary information provided to the state government will be protected from disclosure. Effective 7/1/2077. (SD2)

Beginning July 1, 2025, extends the term of the Oversight Coordinator for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission. Clarifies that the Oversight Coordinator has the general authority to inspect agencies and correctional facilities without notice. (SD2)

Requires licensed mortgage servicers and financial institutions to pay interest on insurance proceeds held for the benefit of consumers. Provides that a fee shall not be charged to the borrower in connection with the maintenance or disbursement of interest earned from interest-bearing accounts. Effective 7/1/2050. (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 the Department of Health has the legal authority and obligation to prevent and address nuisances that affect environmental health or public health, or both. (SD1)

Requires masters or persons in charge of vessels to follow an order by a harbor master to evacuate a commercial harbor in emergencies. Establishes higher penalties for noncompliance. Authorizes fines collected for violations of this requirement as moneys to be paid into the Special Harbor Fund. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Maddy summarySB 279 changes the legal penalties for possessing fentanyl to match those for heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and morphine by aligning their possession thresholds. This means the amount of fentanyl that triggers criminal penalties would now be the same as the amounts for those other drugs. The bill directly affects individuals charged with fentanyl possession in the state, as it would standardize the legal consequences. Currently, fentanyl may have different possession thresholds compared to these other drugs, and this bill seeks to eliminate that disparity. The bill is in committee review with a hearing scheduled for February 5, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1390 changes the deadline for the Department of Education's annual computer science legislative report from June 30 to October 31 each year. This bill directly affects the Department of Education, requiring them to submit their report later in the fiscal year. The key provision is simply shifting the due date, giving the department additional time to compile the report. No other policy changes or program impacts are included in this bill.

Provides an emergency appropriation for the Department of Human Services to reinvest in the ongoing development of a new eligibility system for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Makes an emergency appropriation for fiscal year 2024-2025. Declares that the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024-2025 has been exceeded. (SD1)