KA ‘AHA KENEKOA
THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2025
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Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair |
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Senator Sharon Y. Moriwaki, Vice Chair |
NOTICE OF DECISION MAKING
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DATE: |
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 |
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TIME: |
10:02 AM |
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PLACE: |
Conference Room 211 & Videoconference State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street |
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TIMESLOT: |
WAM |
PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL
BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY
A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.
A G E N D A
The following measure(s) were previously heard in their respective subject matter committees:
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RELATING TO STATE FINANCES. Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to utilize revenue bonds when securing a line of credit or other instrument of indebtedness for the Bond Volume Cap Recycling Program. (SD1)
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT STATE SMALL BOAT HARBORS AND STATE PARKS. Allows the Department of Land and Natural Resources to engage in capital improvement project work at state small boat harbors and state parks without prior approval from the Legislature and Governor for existing facilities. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 1/1/2491. (SD1)
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GVO/WTL, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL. Provides that no person shall serve as State Fire Marshal for more than three terms. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL LANDS. Requires that lands within the agricultural district that have solar energy facilities must also obtain certification from the Department of Agriculture that the lands are also used for a farming operation. (SD1)
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WTL/EIG, WAM |
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RELATING TO WASTE MANAGEMENT. Beginning 7/1/2025, prohibits landfills in no pass zones, which are areas determined by the county where the installation of a landfill unit may contaminate groundwater. Requires counties to identify no pass zones in county integrated solid waste management plans. Prohibits the utilization of fly ash, bottom ash, or a combination of fly and bottom ash from a municipal waste combustor, including any ash residue that remains after removal of metals for recycling into new metal products, for the purposes of road building, construction, or as alternative daily cover material on a landfill. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO A DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM. Establishes a hiring pilot program within the Department of Health, which includes an amended hiring procedure for delegated position classifications, certain flexibilities regarding minimum qualifications for positions having a salary range at or below SR-10, the ability to directly hire certain individuals into a civil service position if certain conditions are met, and the authority to make certain temporary appointments at the merited civil service pay scale without step limitation. Applies to recruitments initiated before 7/1/2028. Requires annual reports to the Legislature.
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HHS/LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO HOUSING. Adds loan funds administered by Nonprofit Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)for certain for-sale affordable housing projects to list of loan priorities for the Affordable Homeownership Revolving Fund. Expands use of moneys in the revolving fund to allow financing as matching funds for CDFIs to mobilize other funding sources.
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO NAMING RIGHTS. Allows the naming rights of any state-owned facility to be sold or leased to any public or private entity. Requires any revenues derived from advertising or marketing in or on any state-owned facility to be deposited into the appropriate special fund of the state agency that owns the facility or into the general fund if no appropriate special fund exists. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT/GVO, WAM |
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RELATING TO LAND EXCHANGE. Allows the Governor to negotiate land exchanges to acquire lands that are suitable for long-term diversified agricultural production in exchange for land for private affordable housing development. Requires a report to the Legislature. Effective 1/1/2050. (SD1)
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WTL/AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO DATA SHARING. Establishes a Data Sharing and Governance Working Group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services. Requires the Working Group to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES. Establishes a two-year pilot program under the Department of Land and Natural Resources that incentivizes community members to collect and submit the coconut rhinoceros beetle and its larvae for compensation. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. (SD1)
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WTL/AEN, WAM |
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RELATING TO DUE PROCESS PROTECTIONS. Establishes the Due Process in Immigration Proceedings Program to provide legal representation to individuals in immigration-related proceedings in immigration court. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 4/23/2057. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT. Clarifies housing developers that are eligible for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT. Narrows the scope of the definition of the term "development" in coastal zone management law by excluding reconstruction of certain lawfully constructed structures impacted by certain events. (SD1)
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WTL, WAM |
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RELATING TO MARINE LIFE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and conduct the Marine Life Conservation District Carrying Capacity Program. Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to submit a report to the Legislature and adopt administrative rules. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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WTL, WAM |
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RELATING TO DISABILITY HEALTH DISPARITY. Requires the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to collect data and submit to the Legislature a report focused on the health disparities experienced by individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the State prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. Appropriates funds to establish a permanent Educational Support Associate position within the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience's Kona Cooperative Extension. Effective 7/31/2050. (SD1)
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HRE, WAM |
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RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES. Requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience to design, implement, and administer a five-year Child Welfare System Diversion and Intervention Pilot Program to support families and children involved, at risk of involvement, or at risk of reinvolvement with child welfare services. Allows the Office to contract with public and private entities to provide necessary services. Requires reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO FITNESS TO PROCEED. Clarifies the term of commitment for a defendant being held at a hospital or mental health facility for a fitness-to-proceed examination. Clarifies who may serve as a qualified examiner. Reduces the number of qualified examiners required for a fitness-to-proceed examination in a felony case from three to one. Establishes the rate of compensation for conducting the examinations. Establishes a reduced penalty, except in certain circumstances, for a person who commits the offense of escape in the second degree while in the custody of the Director of Health. (SD1)
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HHS/JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO SMALL BUSINESS LOANS. Establishes the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program within the Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Establishes the Hawaii Start-Up Business Loan Program Special Fund. Requires DBEDT to submit annual reports to the Legislature. Establishes one full-time equivalent business loan officer position. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO MEDICAL DEBT. Requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience to develop, implement, and administer a Medical Debt Acquisition and Forgiveness Program to acquire and forgive medical debt owed by certain households in the State. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS/CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO MENTAL HEALTH. Establishes and appropriates moneys for a Mental Health Emerging Therapies Special Fund, to be administered by the Department of Health. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO PORT INFRASTRUCTURE. Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to conduct maintenance dredging at state small boat harbors, boat launch ramp facilities, and waterways. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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WTL, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DWELLING UNIT REVOLVING FUND. Makes the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund Equity Pilot Program permanent. Gives preference to projects developed under governmental assistance programs pursuant to section 201H-36(a)(2), HRS. (SD1)
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HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE HAWAII EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND BASE COMPOSITE MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION. Effective 1/1/2026, increases the employer base composite monthly contribution to the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund by 5.2 percent of the 2025 employer base composite monthly contribution. Effective 1/1/2027, requires that the employer base composite monthly contribution be calculated based on the change in Medicare Part B premiums from 2025 to 2026 and at a two-year lag thereafter.
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LBT, WAM |
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RELATING TO TAX COLLECTIONS. Suspends the statute of limitations on collections during the period an assessment is pending on appeal before the taxation board of review or tax appeal court. (SD1)
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JDC, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS. Appropriates funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to purchase a parcel of land identified as tax map key: (1) 9-1-013-025. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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HWN, WAM |
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RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. Establishes the Hawaii Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission. Requires the Office of International Affairs to provide support to the Hawaii Sister-State and International Partnerships Commission. Allows the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish out-of-state offices and facilities to support sister-state and other partnerships that promote and enrich the people, cultures, environments, and economies of the State and its international partners, generate revenue for the State, and buy property. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
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TCA/EDT, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE KEAUHOU AQUIFER SYSTEM. Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to install two monitoring wells in the Keauhou Aquifer System. Establishes the Keauhou Aquifer System Monitoring Program. Requires reports to the Legislature.
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WTL, WAM |
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RELATING TO CHILD CARE. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish and implement an Early Learning Services Contracts Program to make available a designated number of seats at licensed infant and toddler child care centers and family child care centers for families referred by the Department at a negotiated rate and schedule. Requires the Department of Human Services to submit reports to the Legislature. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS, WAM |
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RELATING TO OHANA ZONES. Establishes the Ohana Zones Program as a permanent program within the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions. Exempts ohana zones projects from general excise taxes. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)
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HHS/HOU, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE COSMETOLOGY LICENSURE COMPACT. Authorizes the Governor to enter into a Cosmetology Licensure Compact on behalf of the State to provide a streamlined process that allows cosmetologists to obtain a multistate license enabling them to practice cosmetology in another state without obtaining a separate license under the laws of that state. Requires the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt rules to implement and administer the Compact. Authorizes the Governor to enter into the Compact effective 1/1/2026. (SD1)
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CPN, WAM |
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RELATING TO THE STATE OF HAWAII FILM COMMISSION. Establishes the Hawaii State Film Office within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to support the State's film and media industries. Establishes the Hawaii State Film Commission within the Hawaii State Film Office. Requires investment revenues and returns from made and fees and charges collected by the Hawaii State Film Office to be deposited into the Hawaii Film and Creative Industries Development Special Fund. Allows the Department to use the fund to provide the support and development of facilities, film tax incentives, and other initiatives to grow the State's creative industries. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. (SD1)
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EDT, WAM |
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Decision making meeting only, no oral testimony will be accepted.
Persons wishing to submit written testimony may do so up to 24 hours prior to the hearing. Click here to submit written testimony.
All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.
For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email WAMcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.
FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808)586-6800.
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_____________________________________ Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz Chair |
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