Sen. Stanley Chang

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.

Authorizes the public sale of a foreclosed mortgaged property or unit on a state website to be developed and maintained by the Judiciary. Requires the public notice of the public sale of the mortgaged property or unit to include the date, time, and website address of the sale if the sale is to be held on a state website. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summarySB 2821 requires election officials to maintain a minimum number of voter service centers open on general election day. This policy directly affects voters by ensuring more accessible polling locations on election day. The bill mandates this minimum number through specific administrative requirements for election administration.

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.

Requires the Department of Health to develop and publish a state plan on hearing loss. Requires reports to the Legislature prior to the 2027 and 2028 Regular Sessions.

Increases the maximum term for leases of public lands to ninety-nine years. Prohibits commercial leases and government use agreements of public lands at rates below market rate, with exceptions.

Authorizes the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to issue a temporary license to engage in the practice of dealing and fitting of hearing aids to high school students enrolled in a structured training program.

Establishes recognition of coconut trees as a source of food and water, and as a cultural treasure. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules to allow the use of coconut tree seed banks in the State. Requires owners or operators of property where any coconut tree is located to post and maintain a sign that clearly indicates that the coconut tree is a landscape palm. Requires the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish labeling standards for non-consumable landscape palms. Establishes an income tax credit for consumable coconut trees maintained through natural management practices.

Repeals the sunset date of Act 45, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, thereby making permanent the authority of the counties to share in facilitating the development, construction, financing, refinancing, or other provision of mixed-use developments, including low- and moderate-income housing projects, and issue county bonds for this purpose.