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Sunday, February 10, 2019
Legislative Preview: This Week's Bills on the Move
By Brett Kulbis @ 6:54 PM :: 4959 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Republican Party

Your Testimony is Needed!

From Honolulu County Republican Party, Feb 10, 2019

Our voice and opinions are powerful. Our legislators were elected to represent our concerns. It is up to us to voice concerns and to make our voice heard. If we take the time to convey our thoughts to our elected officials and follow up with them, our message will have great impact, but we all must get involved.

LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS WEEK 4

Monday February 11, 2019

SB 383
RELATING TO YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION.
Requires the Board of Education to establish and implement youth suicide awareness and prevention training programs and risk referral protocols in public schools, including charter schools. SUPPORT

SB 477
RELATING TO EDUCATION.
Allows the Department of Education to provide sex trafficking prevention training to certain staff. Requires DOE to make available to certain staff explanatory information about protocols that DOE has approved for providing services to victims of sex trafficking. SUPPORT

SB 483
RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS.
Authorizes the use of private lands for the ohana zones pilot program. Extends sunset dates of the Emergency Department Homelessness Assessment and Medical Respite pilot programs of the Department of Human Services to 6/30/2020. Requires reports to the Legislature. OPPOSE
Ohana Zones are not the solution to our homeless problem. This is a short sighted solution to what has been a long term problem. 

SB 718
RELATING TO HOMEBUYER ASSISTANCE.
Establishes the state mortgage insurance program to guarantee up to fifteen per cent of the principal balance of real property mortgage loans, under certain conditions. OPPOSE
This is unconstitutional, tax payer money should not be used as a guarantee for personal mortgages regardless of any conditions.

SB 856
RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Requires the Auditor to perform a financial and management audit of the Department of Education, Superintendent, Board of Education, and complex areas every three years. SUPPORT

SB 1131
RELATING TO OHANA ZONES.
Increases the number of ohana zone sites on Oahu from three to six. Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services for the ohana zones pilot program. OPPOSE
Ohana Zones are not the solution to our homeless problem. This is a short sighted solution to what has been a long term problem.

Tuesday February 12, 2019

HB 655
RELATING TO HEALTH.
Designates the month of September of each year as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. SUPPORT

HB 725
RELATING TO STANDARDIZED TESTING.
Limits public school students' participation in standardized tests and provides notice to students and parents or guardians of the opportunity to opt out of standardized tests. Prohibits use of standardized test scores for the evaluation of teachers and educational officers. SUPPORT

HB 919
RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
Establishes a collective bargaining unit for graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii. OPPOSE
Graduate student assistants are temporary positions and should not be subject to collective bargaining. A graduate assistant is a person who serves in a support role (assistantship) at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education.

SB 94
RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
Requires candidates for president and vice president of the United States to post their most recent income tax return on the Internet at least sixty days prior to and continuing through the date of the general election for free access by the public in order to be included on the state ballot, subject to certain conditions. Prohibits electors from voting for a candidate for president or vice president of the United States unless the candidates have posted their most recent income tax return on the Internet at least sixty days prior to and continuing through the date of the general election for free access by the public, subject to certain conditions. OPPOSE

SB 160
RELATING TO TORT LIABILITY.
Makes an exemption from tort liability for the State and counties arising from lifeguard services, except for gross negligence or wanton acts or omissions. SUPPORT

Wednesday February 13, 2019

HB 1383
RELATING TO MARIJUANA.
Decriminalizes certain offenses relating to marijuana and establishes a schedule of monetary fines for violations. Changes statutory references from "marijuana" to "cannabis." Provides for the dismissal of charges and expungement of criminal records based solely on cannabis offenses. Establishes the cannabis evaluation working group. Requires a report to the Legislature. OPPOSE
The JUD Committee is under pressure to defer this bill. Contact the following Committee members and encourage them to vote NO Reps. Joy A. San Buenaventura, Nicole E. Lowen, Calvin Say, Ryan I. Yamane.

SB 714
RELATING TO THE TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
Imposes the transient accommodations tax on resort fees that are calculated separately from the advertised transient accommodation's rate. Clarifies that the transient accommodations tax shall be calculated based on the gross rental. Amends the formula for the amount of transient accommodations tax to be collected from time shares by increasing the base on which time share occupancy is taxed from one-half of the gross daily maintenance fees paid by the owner and are attributable to the time share unit to one hundred per cent of the gross daily maintenance fees. Specifies that the transient accommodations tax is to be collected from transient accommodations intermediaries who arrange transient accommodations at noncommissioned negotiated contract rates in the same manner as transient accommodations operators. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2019. OPPOSE

HB 1486
RELATING TO GUNS.
Requires an applicant to successfully complete a firearms safety or training course within thirty days before applying for or renewing a license to carry a concealed or unconcealed weapon. Repeals the ban on electric guns. OPPOSE

HB 950
RELATING TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SAFETY ACT.
Establishes in the Department of the Attorney General a program responsible for issuing credentials to qualified law enforcement officers pursuant to the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, as amended. SUPPORT

HB 1280
PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE II, SECTION 1, TO EXPAND THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
Lowers the right to vote in state and local elections to those who are sixteen years of age or older per the Hawaii Constitution. OPPOSE

SB 1474
RELATING TO TAXATION.
Increases the general excise tax by 0.5% to provide a dedicated funding source for the department of education and the University of Hawaii. OPPOSE

Thursday February 14, 2019
No hearings of concern at this time.  Stay up to date view all hearing notices
HERE.

Friday February 15, 2019

No hearings of concern at this time.  Stay up to date view all hearing notices HERE.

2019 Legislative Session

TESTIMONY

Testimony for legislative measures scheduled for hearing by the House or Senate should be delivered at least 24 hours prior to the hearing and may be submitted in person, by fax, or electronically as indicated on the hearing notice.

Testimony for legislative measures scheduled for hearing by the House or Senate may be submitted electronically through the Hawaii State Legislature's website at www.capitol.hawaii.gov by clicking on the button marked Submit Testimony and following the on-screen instructions.

Testimony for legislative measures scheduled for hearing by the Senate may also be faxed to 586-6659 (Oahu) or 1-800-586-6659 (Neighbor Islands).

SENATE HEARING LATE TESTIMONY - Testimony received after the 24-hour deadline will be posted to the Capitol website within 24 hours after the hearing has adjourned and may be marked as "late".

HOUSE HEARING LATE TESTIMONY - Staff will try to incorporate additional testimony received within 24 hours of the hearing if possible.

The hearing committee will post testimony received "on-time" to the Capitol website at the beginning of the hearing. Testimony received after the 24-hour deadline may be marked as "late" but will be posted to the Capitol website as soon as possible following the hearing. Testimony submitted after the hearing will not be considered or posted.

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR KEY DATES

FEB 15 FIRST LATERAL (BILLS) – All bills referred to more than one committee (i.e., those with multiple referrals) must move to their final committee in the originating chamber by this day.

FEB 21 - 27 MANDATORY 5-DAY RECESS – Hawaii’s Constitution mandates a 5-day recess between the 20th and 40th days of the regular session. Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate convene or assemble formally in chamber on recess days. Committee hearings do take place. (No formal floor action takes place during this recess, but committees may still meet and conduct business, including public hearings.)

 

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