The state Legislature handed the midpoint of this yr’s session Thursday, advancing payments that may supercharge the redevelopment of Aloha Stadium, legalize leisure hashish and broaden entry to abortions and deadly doses of treatment for terminally unwell sufferers. With COVID-19 and its financial impacts high of thoughts, lawmakers have queued up a number of revenue-generating payments, together with measures to spice up the capital beneficial properties tax, company taxes and taxes on high-end actual property gross sales, together with a proposal that may improve the earnings tax for the state’s high earners to the best within the nation. The payments which are alive have handed at the very least one chamber; payments which are failing have stalled in a committee or by no means obtained a listening to by inner deadlines — however that doesn’t imply they’ll’t be revived later.
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GOVERNMENT
Passing
State price range
HB 2200, HD 1/SB 2075, SD 1
Authorizes $15.4 billion in spending on authorities operations for the yr starting July 1, and $2.35 billion in development spending in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Further spending is contained in quite a few appropriation payments transferring individually by way of the Legislature.
HART board
SB 998, SD 1
Permits board members of the Honolulu Authority for Fast Transportation who’re appointed by the Senate president and speaker of the Home of Representatives to vote.
Claims towards the state
SB 1039, SD 1
Makes appropriations to settle lawsuits introduced towards the state.
Workers on public help
HB 718, HD 1
Requires the Division of Human Companies to compile info on employers whose staff are receiving public help, akin to Medicaid, together with the 50 employers with the best variety of such staff. The invoice is geared toward figuring out employers who’ve “abused public help applications” by offering their staff with low wages and poor advantages with the expectation they may subsidize their earnings by way of public-assistance applications.
Marketing campaign spending legal guidelines
SB 635
Permits the Marketing campaign Spending Fee to refer a criticism associated to marketing campaign spending regulation violations for prosecution, even when the fee has already fined the person. Will increase the interval by which somebody is disqualified from holding public workplace to 10 from 4 years, upon conviction of a marketing campaign spending regulation violation.
Aloha Stadium
SB 1423, SD 2
Supercharges the redevelopment of Aloha Stadium. Provides particular powers to the Stadium Authority, which manages the stadium, together with possession of the land and broad redevelopment and procurement instruments. Creates a stadium improvement particular fund.
Public land leases
SB 257, SD 2
Permits the Board of Land and Pure Assets to increase sure leases of public land for business, industrial, resort and combined use past the utmost allowable time period of 65 years through a pilot program.
Failing
HART board
HB 1288/SB 1324
Excludes nonvoting, ex-officio board members of the Honolulu Authority for Fast Transportation from being counted for the aim of quorum. These members are appointed by the Senate president and speaker of the Home of Representatives.
Voting age
HB 449/SB 824
Proposes a constitutional modification decreasing the voting age to 16 from 18 years of age.
Grants-in-aid
SB 556, SD 1
Prohibits a corporation that has a present legislator on its governing board from being eligible for the state’s grants-in-aid program, which generally doles out tens of millions in grants to nonprofits yearly.
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TAXES
Passing
Revenue tax
SB 56, SD 1
Imposes 16% tax on people incomes greater than $200,000 a yr, heads of households incomes greater than $300,000 and joint filers incomes greater than $400,000. The earnings brackets are at present taxed at 11%. Will increase capital beneficial properties tax, company tax and taxes on high-end actual property gross sales.
Jobless fund
HB 1278
Caps the quantity companies need to pay into the Unemployment Compensation Belief Fund for the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years. Covers 50% of base interval claims for reimbursing employers. (Gov. David Ige signed the invoice into regulation March 3.)
Inheritance tax
HB 445, HD 1
Lowers the quantity of inheritance excluded from the state tax to lower than the present $5.49 million, with the brink to be decided.
Capital beneficial properties tax
HB 133, HD 1
Will increase capital beneficial properties tax threshold to 9% from 7.25% starting within the 2021 tax yr.
Tobacco merchandise
SB 1147, SD 2
Taxes e-liquid and digital smoking gadgets in accordance with the cigarette tax and tobacco tax regulation. Will increase licensing price for sellers of cigarette and tobacco merchandise and retail tobacco allow price for sellers of cigarette and tobacco merchandise.
Rental vehicles
HB 485, HD 1
Will increase rental motorcar surcharge tax from $5 to an quantity to be decided.
Local weather change
HB 433, HD 1
Imposes a day by day local weather change mitigation influence price on rental vehicles and deposits the charges into the overall fund till July 2024, after which they might go right into a local weather change mitigation particular fund.
Union belief fund
SB 1087, SD 1
Briefly suspends the requirement that public employers make annual contributions to the Hawaii Employer- Union Well being Advantages Belief Fund by way of the 2025 fiscal yr. Goals to provide the state flexibility in addressing price range shortfalls whereas the financial system recovers.
Liquor license
HB 137, HD 1
Requires that violations of the liquor tax regulation be investigated by the Division of Taxation as a substitute of county liquor commissions.
Failing
Revenue tax credit score
HB 432
Extends earned earnings tax credit score for low-income staff by 5 years; credit score is about to run out Dec. 31, 2022.
Unemployment
SB 614, SD2
Exempts from state earnings taxes unemployment compensation obtained between March 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.
Sugar tax
HB 994, SB 1148
Imposes 2-cents-per-ounce tax on soda and different sugary drinks.
Alcoholic drinks
SB 1232, SD1; HB 771
Imposes 10-cents-per-drink tax on alcoholic drinks from July 1 by way of June 30, 2024.
Minimal wage
HB 4
Establishes a brief small-business earnings tax credit score for certified employers to offset the price of offering well being care protection to staff who earn beneath $50,000, with credit score to be repealed July 30, 2027. Raises the minimal wage in annual increments, beginning with a rise to $11.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2022, and hitting $17 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026, and establishes adjusted minimal wage charge for 2027 and past. Repeals the tip credit score.
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EDUCATION
Passing
COVID-19 reporting
SB 811
Requires the Division of Schooling to publish a weekly report on faculties reporting COVID-19 instances. The division at present reviews by complicated space.
Laptop science
SB 242, SD 2
Requires that laptop science content material or programs be provided in elementary and center faculties, on a phased foundation over 4 years. Units up a pc science particular fund.
Trainer salaries
SB 270, SD 2/HB 613, HD 2
Appropriates federal coronavirus reduction funds to offset price range reductions that may in any other case end in layoffs or pay cuts to unionized staff working on the faculty stage.
Bullying
HB 225, HD 2
Requires the BOE to develop a bullying prevention and response motion plan. Repeals Act 214, Session Legal guidelines of Hawaii 2011.
Intercourse abuse measures
SB 518, SD 2
Requires the DOE to ascertain and implement a sexual abuse prevention training program for public faculty college students, present related coaching to lecturers and employees, and inform dad and mom and guardians about necessary youngster sexual abuse matters.
Sustainable objectives
SB 1311, SD 2
Requires the DOE to ascertain meals waste and zero-emission automobile objectives as a part of the sustainable-schools initiative.
Ocean security
SB 508
Requires the DOE to ascertain and administer an ocean security and stewardship training program for all fourth grade college students.
Scholarships
HB 1291, HD 1
Makes public faculty college students who certified for particular training for at the very least two years and maintained a 3.0 grade-point common in highschool eligible for scholarships by way of the Hawaii state students program and group school Hawaii Promise program.
Monetary literacy
SB 1004
Starting with the 2021-2022 faculty yr, requires the DOE to incorporate the educating of monetary literacy within the private/transition plan requirement for every highschool pupil.
Failing
Revenue tax credit score
HB 791, HD 1
Establishes a state earnings tax credit score for sure bills incurred by prekindergarten-through-grade 12 lecturers, instructors, counselors, principals or aides.
UH land use
SB 1224/HB 1070
Offers a framework to help constant land use planning and improvement throughout the College of Hawaii system and permits mission partnerships.
Campus security
HB 691/SB 727
Requires UH to supply coaching on the impacts of trauma on staff answerable for investigating incidents and aiding victims of sexual and home violence. Improves entry for confidential help providers. Requires UH to yearly inform college students and staff of sexual and home violence prevention and disclosure protocols. To the extent potential, requires a personal school or college to implement an identical campus security and accountability requirements as these making use of to UH.
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CONSUMER PROTECTION/LABOR
Passing
Minimal wage
SB 676
Raises the state’s minimal wage to $12 in July 2022.
Deepfakes
SB 309
Makes it a Class C felony to deliberately manipulate photographs referred to as deepfakes — edited footage of movies created by laptop software program that nearly removes an individual’s face from an present picture and pastes it onto the physique of one other.
On-line privateness
HB 125, HD 2
Establishes the Uniform Worker and Scholar On-line Privateness Safety Act, which protects the web accounts of staff, potential staff, unpaid interns, candidates, college students and potential college students from employers and academic establishments.
Catalytic converters
HB 446
Classifies catalytic converter theft as a Class C felony. Requires sellers to supply contact info and automobile information to the client. Requires consumers of catalytic converters from sellers who don’t present the mandatory paperwork to refuse the sale and report the tried sale to the police. Units fines of $100 to $2,000 for consumers who don’t comply.
Telework
SB 830
Requires state departments to ascertain a telework and different work schedule coverage. Units minimal proportion of eligible staff who’re required to telework or use another work schedule coverage and requires departments to permit staff who act as a caregiver to telework or use another work schedule.
Housing
HB 1376
Extends the interval for a discover of abstract possession to fifteen days from 5. Requires landlords to enter into mediation and delays when in search of possession of a dwelling unit if the tenant schedules or makes an attempt to schedule mediation.
Gender illustration
SB 193, SD 1
Requires publicly held home companies to have a gender-diverse board of administrators. Establishes reporting necessities for the Division of Commerce and Shopper Affairs and penalties.
Cell apps
HB 1253, HD 3
Prohibits employers, with sure exemptions, from requiring staff to obtain cellular purposes to the staff’ private communication gadgets, terminating or in any other case discriminating towards staff for refusing to obtain cellular purposes, or discharging or discriminating towards staff for submitting complaints regarding these illegal practices.
Little one actors
SB 670, SD 1
Permits minors underneath the age of 16 to work in theatrical employment, offered the employer procures a sound certificates of employment and the minor is accompanied by a mother or father, guardian or accountable grownup. Requires the employer to rent a nurse licensed in primary life help to accompany, supervise and advocate on behalf of infants underneath age 1 who’re on-set. Ensures a studio trainer is current to accompany, train and attend to the well being, security and well-being of school-age minors in periods when the minors are legally required to attend faculty.
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Passing
Oahu jail
SB 664, SD 1
Requires the Division of Public Security to develop a brand new Oahu Group Correctional Heart to accommodate jail inmates. Prohibits the state from transferring the jail’s operations to a personal company.
Hashish possession
SB 758, SD 1
Decriminalizes the possession of as much as 30 grams of hashish, up from the present restrict of three grams. Permits convictions for possession of as much as 1 ounce of hashish to be expunged.
Authorized hashish
SB 767, SD 2
Legalizes the non-public use, possession and sale of hashish and authorizes the sale of hashish at permitted institutions.
No-knock warrants
SB 726
Bans “no-knock warrants” by requiring regulation enforcement to attend at the very least 30 seconds after asserting their presence earlier than coming into a house, retailer or different constructing. Requires officers serving a warrant to take action in uniform.
Little one intercourse abuse
HB 570, HD 2
Permits victims of childhood sexual abuse to deliver civil fits in search of financial damages towards their perpetrator up till the sufferer’s 68th birthday, no matter when the abuse occurred. Extends the statute of limitations for victims to deliver claims towards an establishment, faculty or enterprise that employed the perpetrator to April 2024 and permits the sufferer to hunt treble damages.
Rogue hikers
SB 700, SD 2
Permits authorities businesses to cost hikers for search and rescue operations in the event that they get in hassle whereas leaving a path or climbing in an space closed to the general public.
Fireworks fines
HB 508
Doubles fines for unlawful fireworks and will increase fines for aerials to $4,000 from $2,000.
Fireworks air pollution
HB 1246
Makes fireworks violations topic to the state’s air and noise air pollution legal guidelines, which may entail extra fines.
Failing
Civil asset seizure
SB 294/HB 659
Prohibits regulation enforcement from seizing property except the property proprietor has been convicted of a felony offense referring to the property. Redirects proceeds from the sale of seized property from regulation enforcement to the overall fund.
Discrimination
SB 544
Permits civil fits in instances the place somebody calls the police on one other individual primarily based on their beliefs about race, faith, intercourse, gender id or different private attributes, when there isn’t a motive to suspect felony conduct or imminent hazard to individual or property.
Police reform
HB 428
Requires a regulation enforcement officer who observes felony conduct by one other officer to report it. Requires regulation enforcement recruits to bear psychological screening. Bans chokeholds except the usage of lethal drive is justifiable.
Police gear
SB 30
Prohibits police departments from buying sure military-type gear, akin to weaponized, unmanned aerial autos; plane designed for fight; and grenade launchers. Prohibits regulation enforcement from utilizing rubber bullets and different projectiles, in addition to tear fuel, mustard fuel and different chemical concoctions on protesters.
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HEALTH/ SOCIAL SERVICES
Passing
Abortions
HB 576, HD 3
Permits superior follow registered nurses to carry out abortions.
Medical assist in dying
SB 839, SD 2
Permits superior follow registered nurses to prescribe medicine for terminally unwell sufferers in search of to finish their lives underneath the Our Care, Our Alternative Act. Shortens the ready interval for acquiring the deadly medicine to fifteen days from 20 and waives the ready interval for terminally unwell sufferers who will not be anticipated to outlive the obligatory ready interval.
DHHL hashish
SB 86, SD 3
Requires the Division of Well being to problem medical hashish dispensary licenses to the Division of Hawaiian House Lands, permitting for elevated income for beneficiaries. Requires DHHL to review the feasibility of and income to be generated by medical hashish dispensaries, restricted gaming and different potential revenue-generating choices on Hawaiian homelands.
Emancipation
SB 821, SD 2
Permits a minor to petition the household court docket for emancipation when 16 years outdated. Permits the court docket to require the minor’s dad and mom or authorized guardians to pay for any providers ordered by the court docket, together with authorized providers and psychological well being remedy.
Low-cost houses
SB 1, SD 2
Creates the ALOHA houses program to develop low-cost houses on state and county land in city redevelopment websites. The houses could be offered in leasehold by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Improvement Corp.
Seniors and crime
HB 490, HD 2
Lowers the age at which enhanced penalties can apply to crimes towards seniors to 60 years of age from 62.
Tobacco fund
HB 1296, HD 1
Repeals the tobacco prevention and management belief fund and transfers revenues into the overall fund, and appropriates normal funds to the Division of Well being for tobacco prevention.
Meals security
HB 770, HD 1
Creates a process drive to make suggestions to make sure that Hawaii’s meals imports are imported, saved and distributed in compliance with the federal Meals Security Modernization Act. Develops suggestions to make sure that all meals and types imported into Hawaii don’t mislead or confuse the general public.
Mammograms
SB 827, SD 2/HB 564
Will increase the classes of girls required to be lined for mammogram screenings. Requires the present medical health insurance mandate for protection of low-dose mammography to incorporate digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis.
Failing
“Magic” mushrooms
SB 738
Decriminalizes psychedelic mushrooms and requires state well being officers to develop remedy facilities the place individuals can devour their energetic elements in a managed atmosphere as a remedy possibility for psychological well being problems akin to despair and post-traumatic stress dysfunction.
DOH/care houses
HB 488/SB 835
Requires the Division of Well being to put up inspection reviews of care houses on its web site inside 5 working days after finishing the inspection.
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ENVIRONMENT
Passing
Inexperienced modification
SB 502, SD 2
Provides an modification to the Hawaii Structure’s Invoice of Rights that stipulates all people have a proper to “a clear and wholesome atmosphere, together with pure water, clear air and wholesome ecosystems.”
Coastal actual property
HB 554, HD 2
Requires sellers to reveal whether or not a property lies inside the sea stage rise publicity space as designated by the Hawaii local weather change mitigation and adaptation fee.
Shark safety
HB 553 HD 2
Makes capturing, entangling or killing a shark a misdemeanor punishable by a advantageous of $500 for a primary offense, $2,000 for a second offense and $10,000 for a 3rd offense.
Autos
HB 552, HD 1
Establishes a aim of transitioning 100% of state-owned light-duty autos to renewable power sources by December 2035.
Vitality effectivity
HB 550, HD 2
Establishes a aim of reaching at the very least a 25% discount in electrical energy consumption at state amenities and units deadlines for state amenities to implement cost-effective power effectivity measures. Requires new development of state amenities to make use of power and water effectivity requirements and use supplies that scale back the mission’s carbon footprint.
Lay nets
HB 1018, HD 2
Requires fishers utilizing lay nets to acquire a allow from the Division of Land and Pure Assets.
Crustaceans
HB 1017, HD 1
Repeals the statutory prohibition towards taking or killing spiny lobsters, Kona crabs and Samoan crabs.
Ocean price
HB 1019, HD 2
Permits DLNR to gather customer charges to be used of the state’s ocean sources, with the cash for use for marine conservation and restoration.
Sea stage rise
HB 243/SB 371
Requires state departments to establish present and deliberate amenities which are weak to sea stage rise, flooding and pure hazards and assess mitigation choices. Will increase interagency coordination for sea stage adaption efforts.
Sunscreen
SB 132, SD 2
Bans the sale and distribution of sunscreens containing avobenzone or octocrylene, chemical substances that may harm the marine ecosystem, and not using a prescription.
Failing
Sandbags and tarps
SB 1310/HB 246
Requires property house owners to take away emergency sandbags and tarps they put in alongside the general public seashore to guard houses, resorts and condos from coastal erosion after three years. Will increase fines for owners and contractors who set up the protections with out state permission.
Coastal retreat
HB 1373
Creates a seashore preservation revolving fund and financing pilot program to help shoreline property house owners with relocating mauka of anticipated sea stage rise and erosion hazard zones.
Plastic waste
HB 1316
Prohibits eating places from offering plastic utensils except requested by the patron.
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COVID-19
Passing
Emergency powers
SB 134, SD 1
Prohibits the governor or mayor from suspending requests for public information or very important statistics throughout a declared state of emergency.
Sunshine Legislation
SB 1034, SD 1
Expands board and public participation by giving boards the choice, along side in-person conferences, to make use of interactive convention expertise to remotely conduct public conferences underneath the Sunshine Legislation, even when no emergency has been declared.
State journey guidelines
HB 1286, HD 2
Creates a uniform and simplified journey coverage for guests and residents returning to Hawaii or flying between islands amid coronavirus-related restrictions. Exempts anybody coming into the state or touring between the islands from quarantine necessities in the event that they obtain a unfavorable COVID-19 check inside 72 hours of the ultimate leg of their departure, and supplies choices for individuals who arrive within the islands with out the results of a check by way of no fault of their very own.
Emergency guidelines
SB 540, SD 1
Permits for lesser emergency interval penalties to be adopted and promulgated by the governor or a mayor. Permits for emergency infractions to be processed underneath the site visitors adjudication course of underneath the Hawaii Revised Statues.
Failing
Retail places
HB 12
Makes it a Class C felony for deliberately or knowingly inflicting bodily damage to an proprietor, worker or agent of a retail institution who’s engaged in implementing a authorities well being or security requirement referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Endangerment
HB 532
Offers a minimal advantageous of $500 and a most advantageous of $4,000, along with every other penalty, for the misdemeanor offense of reckless endangering within the second diploma underneath sure circumstances, akin to boarding a business flight into the state after having examined constructive for COVID-19.
Resort employment
HB 642
Requires a lodge employer to recall the identical variety of staff in considerably the identical classification because the employer’s energetic workforce as of March 1, 2020. Requires sure laid-off staff to be provided job positions as they turn into accessible, underneath sure phrases and circumstances.
Public information
HB 797
Prohibits the governor from suspending any provision underneath Hawaii’s Uniform Data Practices Act, or any rule adopted pursuant thereto, throughout any emergency interval.
Industrial tenants
HB 581
Prohibits a business landlord from initiating or persevering with any motion to evict or acquire unpaid hire from a business tenant that has been adversely affected by the financial results of COVID-19 or official measures meant to mitigate the unfold of COVID-19.
Veterans houses
SB 237
Raises the usual of look after the state’s veteran houses, long-term care amenities and nursing houses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
