RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE.

Provides a tax credit to individual taxpayers and employers for premiums paid for long-term care insurance contracts and requires the department of taxation in cooperation with the department of commerce and consumer affairs to submit a report back to the legislature annually regarding the status of this Act's provisions. Sunsets December 31, 2011.

RELATING TO HEALTHCARE.

Establishes agency to operate a single-payer universal healthcare insurance system.

RELATING TO NURSING.

Creates a Nursing Task Force to investigate and recommend ways to assist the public and private sectors to relieve the nursing shortage and ensure a continuous, adequate supply of nurses to staff hospitals and other medical facilities in the state.

RELATED TO HEALTH CARE.

Establishes direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing requirements in health care facilities to ensure patient safety and quality health care.

RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT REPORTING.

Requires staff members of public or private schools, agency, or institutions who, in their professional capacity, have reason to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred, or that there exists a substantial risk that a child may be abused or neglected in the foreseeable future, to immediately report the abuse or neglect directly to the DHS or the police.

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 2, RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Allows the student member of the board of education to vote on all matters.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Lowers the compulsory education age from 6 to 5 years old, making attendance in kindergarten mandatory.

RELATING TO LOANS FOR TEACHERS.

Establishes interest-free home purchase loan programs for teachers to provide them with an incentive to work in hard-to-staff rural areas.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY AT RURAL SCHOOLS ON MAUI, LANAI, AND MOLOKAI.

Appropriates funds for a wireless fidelity network for schools in rural areas. Requires report to legislature.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Establishes the federal revenue maximization revolving fund to collect and disburse revenue for medicaid-eligible health services provided to public school children.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Appropriates funds to retain a teacher position for the Hoa Aina O Makaha cultural learning center.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Allows the Department of Education to consider hiring persons with bachelors or higher degrees who have teaching experience to teach in subjects in which they have a degree. Requires that one member of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board come from a non-teaching background. Authorizes the Department of Education to expand on the standardized statewide Teacher Induction Program.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Confers the same rights and benefits of civil service employees in the department of education to civil service employees of the new conversion charter schools.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Omnibus public charter schools recodification. Creates a new chapter on charter school governance.

RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR EMPLOYEES IN NEW CENTURY CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Assigns new century charter school employees to public sector bargaining units. Establishes collective bargaining process for new century charter school employees.

RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Designates local school boards as an employer for collective bargaining purposes and allows the executive director of the charter school administrative office to negotiate union agreements. Allows certain charter school employees to have the same transfer, tenure and promotion rights as civil service employees.

RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Caps the total financial contribution and allocation for charter schools at $1,500 per pupil.

RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Provides seed money to establish the charter schools facilities fund partnership. Provides a tax credit to landlords who rent or lease to charter schools. Encourages the State to enter into leases charter schools at rates comparable to other State agencies. Reimburses new century charter schools for rent, lease, or mortgage payments for charter school facilities.

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII'S HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

Appropriates funds for Hawaii Community College.

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects for the benefit of the Hawaii Community College.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

Appropriates funds to the University of Hawaii at Hilo for workforce development.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO NORTH HAWAII EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTER.

Appropriates $62,390 for UH-Hilo Hawaii North Hawaii Education Research Center.

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO COLLEGE OF PHARMACY.

Appropriates funding for the establishment of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy.

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO NATIVE HAWAIIAN INITIATIVES.

Appropriates funds for implementation and expansion of native Hawaiian initiatives at UH Hilo.

RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

Appropriates funds to UH Hilo for compliance with requirements of Title IX.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

Appropriates funds for student services positions at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

RELATING TO THE HAWAII SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

Appropriates funds for the general operating budget for the Hawaii small business development center.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

Appropriates funds for the increases in the cost of utilities at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO.

Appropriates funds for capital improvement projects for the benefit of the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Requires the department of human services to abolish the cap on enrollment in the QUEST medical assistance program.

PROPOSED

Creates a Hawaii commission on juvenile justice to oversee the Hawaii youth correctional facility and the office of youth services. Attaches for administrative purposes to the department of human services. Appropriates funds.

MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE.

Emergency appropriation ($416,718) to ensure that the General Assistance (GA) payment is maintained at $418 per month per eligible recipient through the end of FY 2005-2006.

RELATING TO POST-FOSTER CARE.

Appropriates $200,000 for FY 2006-2007 to the Department of Human Services, Office of Youth Services Former Foster Child Assistance Program to assist former foster children between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four in job placement, skills training, education, and housing.

RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION.

Requires the department of human services to make a good faith effort to locate, identify, and interview extended family members for possible foster custody placement of a child and to set forth the procedures used and steps taken in this regard in the dependency petition.

RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION.

Sets forth the procedures for placement of a child who is in temporary foster custody with kin or non-kin foster parents.

RELATING TO NOTICE TO FOSTER PARENTS FOR CHAPTER 587, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES, CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT HEARINGS.

Clarifies notice of hearings requirements and expand opportunities for foster parents to attend Child Protective Act hearings, to provide information and recommendations to the Family court and other parties in child welfare services cases with Family Court jurisdiction.

RELATING TO GRANTS-IN-AID.

Changes current grants-in-aid for social services process to a community planning and delivery process.

RELATING TO THE STATE PHARMACY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Extends income eligibility requirement to two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level. Requires the department to provide enrollees with counseling about prescription drug plans. Repeals prescription drug rebate funding limitations.

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Eliminates cap on enrollment in QUEST program. Appropriates $       for FY 2006-2007.

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Increases maximum enrollment in QUEST program from 125,000 to 150,000. Requires DHS to immediately adopt rules, which are exempt from the public notice, public hearing, and gubernatorial approval requirements of the administrative procedure law, to implement the new cap. Appropriation of $       .

RELATING TO QUEST.

Requires the department of human services to subsidize health insurance coverage for uninsured residents of the State of Hawaii who earn less than 300% of the federal poverty level.

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Requires Med-QUEST and Medicaid coverage for chiropractic care.

RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION.

Provides immunity from prosecution for leaving an unharmed newborn at a hospital, fire station, or police station within 72 hours of birth. Provides immunity from liability for hospitals, fire stations, and police stations for receiving a newborn. Requires medical history from person relinquishing newborn.

RELATING TO A HAWAII CAREGIVER GRANT PROGRAM.

Establishes a caregiver grant program within the executive office on aging. Establishes criteria for grant qualifications. Appropriates funds for the grant program. Authorizes the hiring of additional personnel to service the grant program.

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS.

Funds a study to conduct a structural analysis of each hospital and nursing home facility to determine their ability to withstand hurricanes. Makes appropriation.

RELATING TO AGING.

Establishes the planning for longevity program to design, conduct, and evaluate a public awareness campaign that provides Hawaii residents within information and resources related to issues associated with longevity. Appropriates funds for the program.

RELATING TO SOCIAL RECIPROCITY.

Appropriates funds to the executive office on aging to develop a volunteer-hours exchange program.

RELATING TO ELDERLY IDENTIFICATION.

Appropriates funds for SageWatch to adopt the former Kupuna ID Project as part of its outreach services.

RELATING TO AGING IN PLACE TAX CREDIT.

Provides a tax credit to taxpayers that renovate their residence to accommodate a handicapped or aging person.

RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.

Exempts medical services and equipment from the general excise tax.

RELATING TO PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION.

Amends Act 239, SLH 2005, by prohibiting DHS from restricting a physician's ability to treat a fee-for-service mental health consumer with psychotropic medications that have been approved and designated as safe and effective by the FDA and psychotropic medications considered appropriate and within the lawful scope of the physician's practice and professional judgment for the treatment of a mental health consumer. Removes the pre-authorization exemption for psychotropic medication. Removes the requirement that DHS report the statistics or prescriptions written pursuant to the Act. Removes the exemption for QUEST medical plans.

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Requires flashing yellow traffic signals to be placed near driveways of all public schools. Requires that traffic control signals be placed at all crosswalks around public schools and elderly housing projects.

RELATING TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.

Establishes a two-year pilot pedestrian flag project within the Department of Transportation to provide flags at crosswalks for use by pedestrians when crossing the street.

RELATING TO DRIVER'S EDUCATION.

Clarifies that driver's education course are available on the same basis to private school and home-schooled students.

RELATING TO STREET LIGHTING.

Requires the State to install fully shielded lighting fixtures when replacing highway and street lights. Requires the counties to follow the same lighting standards as the State when installing new highway or street lights or replacing existing ones.

RELATING TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE RENTAL INDUSTRY.

Authorizes motor vehicle lessors to visibly pass on to the lessee third party concession fees where the third party is an entity other than the department of transportation.

RELATING TO HIGHWAY SAFETY.

Requires the State, counties, and contractors performing work on a public highway to post signs warning motorists of steel plates placed in the roadway.

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.

Establishes a multidisciplinary accident investigation team in the department of transportation for the purpose of investigating major accidents on state roadways in a manner designed to minimize lane and roadway closures during the investigation. Appropriates funds.

RELATING TO TRAFFIC.

Provides that part of highway fund moneys must be expended by the police department of any county with a population of more than 500,000 on a highway patrol.

RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Requires the department of education to conduct a traffic flow study of hazardous traffic conditions at Hawaii public schools and develop a safety plan. Appropriates funds.

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES.

Amends definitions of motor vehicle for purposes of motor vehicle dealer licensing law to exclude vehicle bought by county to use in public transit system or for disabled. Authorizes state or county to purchase public transit vehicles from person who is not a licensed dealer.

RELATING TO TRAFFIC FINES.

Imposes a surcharge on fines levied for traffic violations or assessments collected for traffic infractions. Requires the revenues collected to be distributed to the police department of the county in which the traffic violation or infraction occurred.

RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION.

Clarifies the overlapping county/state responsibility for fire and safety inspections of state-owned airport facilities by making the State responsible for all fire and safety inspections at all state-owned airport facilities.

RELATING TO A PORT AUTHORITY.

Establishes the Hawaii state port authority. Empowers the authority to administer a statewide system of harbors and airports. Establishes a port authority task force to review the consolidation of airport and harbor functions and draft necessary implementing legislation.

RELATING TO NON-AGRICULTURAL PARK LANDS. Allows the Board of Agriculture to manage, develop, and dispose of public lands set aside by a Governor's executive order to the Department of Agriculture. Expressly authorizes the DOA to manage non-agricultural park lands to the same extent it is authorized to manage agricultural parks under its control.

Decision making to follow.

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS. Permits renegotiations of hotel and resort leases, and permits disposition of public lands by negotiations for agricultural purposes.

RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Requires that all housing developments proposing to develop at least 50 residential dwellings provide at least 20% of the dwellings as affordable dwelling units.

RELATING TO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Establishes the Honolulu development authority to provide affordable housing in Honolulu.

RELATING TO BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. Creates temporary commission on biological diversity to assist in creating a regulatory framework to implement policies and make relevant recommendations to the legislature regarding access to genetic resources and biological diversity in Hawaii. Report to legislature. Appropriations. Repealed 6/30/2008.

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. Appropriates moneys to conduct a pilot project for the Kaiaka Bay, Oahu watershed and action plan.

RELATING TO LICENSING FOR CONSULTANTS. Requires the Office of the Auditor to perform a study to determine whether archaeological and cultural consultants should be licensed.

RELATING TO HARBORS. Requires vessels over two tons in weight or 40 feet in length to obtain maritime insurance prior to being allowed to moor at state small boat harbors.

RELATING TO SMALL BOAT HARBORS. Adds an additional requirement for obtaining a permit or permit renewal that owners provide a vessel inspection report that is no more than two years old. Require a state-approved inspector to complete the vessel inspection report.

RELATING TO HARBORS. Authorizes the DLNR to increase issuance of commercial permits in state boating facilities and to limit issuance of commercial permits in small boat harbors if permits create a negative impact on public health or the environment.

RELATING TO OCEAN VESSELS. Requires DLNR to remove vessels in distress from state waters within twenty-four hours of obtaining the owner's written authorization.

RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS. Requires preparation of an environmental assessment for land use designation, community plan amendment, or change in zoning for real estate development on lands with slope of 20% or more.

Decision making to follow.

RELATING TO THE NATURAL AREA RESERVE SYSTEM. Prohibits public vehicular access in Kaena Point natural area reserve.

RELATING TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT. Expressly prohibits artificial lighting in all areas of the shoreline, including single-family districts and structures.

RELATING TO NET INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR FOOD, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Establishes a refundable tax credit for food, medical services, and nonprescription drugs.

HB 1789

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Exempts amounts received by trusts whose sole beneficiaries are blind, deaf, or disabled from up to $2,000 in general excise tax liability. Limits general excise tax amounts collected from the trusts to one-half percent.

HB 1915

RELATING TO TAXATION.

Exempts amounts received for medical services, with certain exceptions, from general excise tax assessments.

RELATING TO CIGARETTE TAX.

Increases the cigarette tax by 2.5 cents (per cigarette) to fund the maintenance and operation of federally qualified community health centers.

RELATING TO EXCISE TAX ON HEALTH CARE.

Exempts physician services, hospital charges, nursing services, and rehabilitation services from the county surcharge on state tax.

RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE TAX CREDITS.

Provides a refundable and non-refundable net income tax credit to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance.

RELATING TO VITAL STATISTICS.

Imposes a surcharge of $2 on the issuance of a certified copy of birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates for deposit into the DNA registry special fund.

RELATING TO MEDICAL RECORDS.

Limits costs of copying medical records for documentary evidence to not more than a total of $1 for any number of pages up to the first 50 pages and not more than $0.50 for each page in excess of 50. Limits to unspecified amounts the cost for copying: (1) electronic documents and microfilm documents; and (2) x-rays.

RELATING TO ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

Repeal optional, exclusionary insurance provision for injuries sustained by insured persons as a result of intoxication from alcohol or narcotics. Appropriates funds to establish the Screening, Briefing, Intervention, Referral, and Treatment program.

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Amends the Procurement Code to allow more efficiency and flexibility for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation to purchase health care goods and services.

RELATING TO DECABROMODIPHENYLETHER.

Prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of televisions, computers, furniture, mattresses, and mattress pads containing commercial decabromodiphenylether.

RELATING TO TELEPSYCHIATRY.

Establishes temporary 1-year UH telepsychiatry pilot project serving Hilo, Kahului, Molokai, and Kauai. Requires evaluation report to legislature. Appropriates $250,000 to UH for FY 2006-2007.

HB 2059

RELATING TO HEALTH.

Requires hospitals to provide information on emergency contraception to sexual assault victims and provide emergency contraception when requested; requires training on sexual assault and emergency contraceptives to those who treat survivors; provides for enforcement and penalties.

Decision making to follow.

Decision-making only:

HB 3042

HB 3142

RELATING TO PREVAILING WAGES.

Allows a joint labor-management committee established pursuant to the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 to institute an action for injunctive and other relief against an employer that fails to pay its employees the prevailing wage.

RELATING TO PUBLIC WORKS.

Requires that, for public works projects that are not directly caused by a governmental contracting agency, the department of labor and industrial relations be the responsible agency for ensuring compliance with the State's prevailing wage law. Requires the department of budget and finance to report the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds. Clarifies that a violation of public works law refers to each project in which DLIR finds a failure to comply.

RELATING TO THE MINIMUM WAGE.

Incrementally increases minimum wage tip credit for tipped employees over the next two fiscal years.

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Transfers the workforce development council from the department of labor and industrial relations to the department of business, economic development, and tourism for administrative purposes.

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes a task force to study the feasibility of establishing a Hawaii construction authority.

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes a Construction Industry Authority.

RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Establishes a Hawaii Construction Authority.

RELATING TO CHAPTER 448E, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES.

Strengthens enforcement provisions prohibiting unlicensed electrical and plumbing activities.

RELATING TO CONTRACTORS.

Clarifies that at least half of all plumbing and electrical workers working at a job site shall be licensed as required by law.

RELATING TO ELECTRICIANS.

Clarifies the various license classifications of electricians.

RELATING TO CONTRACTORS.

Increases the exemption for unlicensed contracting work from a total project cost of $1,000 to $100,000. Also requires written approval of unlicensed electrical or plumbing work by a licensed electrician or plumber.

RELATING TO A CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY.

Creates a construction authority under DCCA to ensure proper compliance with laws concerning labor, contractors, and construction projects. Creates construction authority special fund from portion of GET taxes, to pay employee salaries. Makes appropriation.

RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.

Prohibits provisions in governmental procurement contracts that require the contractor to defend the governmental body; allows contracts to require a contractor to indemnify and hold harmless the governmental body.

RELATING TO HIGHWAY SAFETY.

Establishes the photo red light imaging detector systems program. Authorizes counties to administer the program.

RELATING TO RENTAL MOTOR VEHICLE SURCHARGE TAX.

Repeals increase in the rental motor vehicle surcharge tax levied between September 1, 1999 and August 31, 2007.

RELATING TO MOTOR SCOOTERS.

Prohibits dealers from selling new motor scooters with noise emissions exceeding a specified number of decibels. Adds motor scooters to noisy muffler law currently applicable to motorcycles and mopeds.

APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR BRIDGE SIGNS ON HANA HIGHWAY.

Appropriates funds to post signs identifying each bridge on the Hana highway.

RELATING TO HIGHWAY SIGNS.

Requires the department of transportation to erect signs on Hana highway identifying each bridge by its Hawaiian name and explaining the name of the bridge in English. Appropriates funds.

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION.

Provides temporary reprieve from lease and permit requirements for airport vendors who want to make improvements.

RELATING TO CONCESSIONS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.

Allows legal tender or financial instruments other than bonds to be used to secure performance under state concession contracts with smaller concessionaires.

RELATING TO AVIATION FUEL TAXES.

Short form bill relating to aviation fuel taxes.

RELATING TO TRAFFIC CODE.

Requires vehicles operating on highways to be covered after off-loading in the same manner as before off-loading to prevent residual loose paper, loose rubbish, plastics, empty cartons, dirt, sand, or gravel from escaping.

RELATING TO TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS.

Repeals the provision specifying that the notice of traffic infraction include space for the driver's signature.

RELATING TO PETROLEUM STORAGE FACILITIES.

Allows special purpose revenue bonds to be issued for the purpose of constructing petroleum storage facilities in counties with populations of less than 500,000. Establishes a tax credit for persons or entities who construct petroleum storage facilities in counties with populations of less than 500,000.