Sen. Stanley Chang

Establishes the State Permitting Office within the Department of Transportation to process building and infrastructure permits for construction of state-owned buildings, state roads and highways, and other construction on state lands. Appropriates moneys.

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to establish three additional permanent mental health practitioner positions within the Division of Student Success' Counseling and Student Development Center.

Establishes the State-Owned Historic Properties Preservation Plan Working Group within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure the preservation of state-owned historic properties and inherited lands. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Establishes the Performing Arts Grants Program to support performing arts in the State. Clarifies the scope of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts' responsibilities to include the coordination, planning, promotion, marketing, and execution of performing arts events. Allows the use of moneys from the Works of Art Special Fund for performing arts. Appropriates funds to provide grants under the Performing Arts Grants Program.

Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office to conduct a statewide environmental assessment for, and subsequently administer, a Geothermal Resources Characterization Program under the direction of the Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center at the University of Hawaii. Appropriates funds.

Maddy summarySB 1643 lowers the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) threshold for driving under the influence of intoxicants. This bill directly affects all drivers operating vehicles on public roads, as it would make it illegal to drive with a lower BAC level than currently permitted. The key provision changes the legal limit for DUI offenses, tightening the standard for impairment. The bill is currently pending in committee review (referred to TCA, JDC) and has not yet become law.

Establishes statewide, uniform standards to promote agricultural tourism activities in the State by establishing state agricultural tourism activity requirements that are applicable to all counties that have adopted an agricultural tourism ordinance. Requires agricultural tourism activities to be registered by the county planning commission. Requires agricultural tourism activities to coexist with an agricultural activity on a farming operation and requires termination of the agricultural tourism activities upon cessation of the agricultural activity. Makes conforming amendments.

Establishes bag limits for kala, nenue, and uhu fish around the island of Oahu. Requires the Division of Aquatic Resources to conduct population assessments of these fishes and report to the Legislature. Sunsets on 6/30/2035.

Prohibits any business established after January 1, 2026, that uses, rents, or offers for rent mopeds in the course of their commercial business, from using a combustion engine-powered moped. Establishes penalties.

Maddy summarySB 570 prohibits Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources from establishing or enforcing bag limits (restrictions on how many goats hunters can take) in public hunting areas. This directly affects the department's regulatory authority and hunters participating in goat hunting within designated public lands. The bill prevents the department from implementing any new or existing rules limiting goat harvests, maintaining current hunting access without numerical restrictions.