HOUSE PASSES 169 BILLS ON THIRD READING FOCUSING ON GOOD GOVERNMENT, ELECTIONS, HOMELESSNESS, EDUCATION
From House Democratic Caucus, March 5, 2019
As the 2019 Legislative Session nears its crossover deadline this week, the House of Representatives has passed nearly 500 bills during a productive session focused on good government, homelessness, and education.
Majority Leader Della Au Belatti said significant bills have been passed this session regarding campaign finance reform, elections issues, ending public corruption, and important social and economic issues including minimum wage, sea level change, and replacing the Aloha Stadium.
Crossover is the deadline by which a final vote must be taken in the bill's originating house to pass the bill on third reading, enabling it to cross over to the non-originating house for consideration.
The House today passed 169 third reading bills including:
Campaign Spending
HB1382 HD2 Prohibits campaign fundraising on the property of any person who has accepted legislatively appropriated funds that exceed an as-yet unspecified value or received or rendered services to the State.
HB164 HD1 Provides voters with greater transparency and reporting for noncandidate committees, which currently allow some individuals to wield an unreasonable unequal influence on elections, by replacing "person" with "noncandidate committees" in electioneering communication law, thus requiring noncandidate committees that spend more than $2000 during any calendar year to: provide the Campaign Spending Commission with information including who runs the committee, who authorizes expenditures, the amounts expended and to whom, who contributed to the committee, the names of any candidates the committee's advertisements supported or opposed, and whether any advertisement was made in coordination or cooperation with a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee.
Candidate Tax Returns
HB712 HD1 Requires candidates for president, vice president, governor, lieutenant governor, or mayor to disclose their federal income tax returns in order to be listed on a general election ballot. Prohibits electors from voting for candidates for president or vice president if those candidates have not disclosed their federal income tax returns.
Voter Registration
HB1217 HD1 Requires that all people who apply for a driver's license or identification card complete a voter registration application, and automatically registers each qualified applicant for voting unless the applicant affirmatively declines to register to vote.
Political Activities of State Employees and Officers
HB391 HD2 Enacts state-law legislation of the federal Hatch Act: Establishes restrictions on how certain state employees and officers who perform adjudicatory, regulatory, law enforcement, or investigatory duties may participate in partisan political activities.
Outside Employment or Emoluments
HB361 HD1 Prohibits the Governor or any county mayor, while holding those offices, to maintain any other employment or receive any emolument, beginning on the sixty-first calendar day after their election or appointment to office.
Lobbying
HB1381 HD1 Prohibits former legislators and executive branch employees subject to senate confirmation from engaging in lobbying for 24 months after termination of employment as a legislator or executive branch employee.
Homelessness
HB1451 HD3 Extends the Ohana Zones Pilot Program to June 30, 2022, and extends the Emergency Department Homelessness Assessment Pilot Program and Medical Respite Pilot Program to June 30, 2020.
HB257 HD2 Authorizes the use of private lands for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program. Extends the Ohana Zones Pilot Program to June 30, 2022, and extends the Emergency Department Homelessness Assessment Pilot Program and the Medical Respite Pilot Program to June 30, 2020.
Homelessness – Mental Health
HB1221 HD2 Amends Hawaiʻi's criteria for involuntary hospitalization so that law enforcement and hospital workers can intervene and temporarily take individuals into involuntary hospitalization for not taking psychiatric medication or pursuing mental health treatment.
Public Records – Police Officers
HB285 HD1 Requires county police departments to allow public access to information about suspended officers and to disclose the identity of officers who are suspended or discharged to the Legislature.
Nondisclosure Agreements for Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace
HB488 HD2 Prohibits an employer from requiring an employee, as a condition of employment, to enter into a nondisclosure agreement that prevents the employee from disclosing sexual harassment or sexual assault occurring in the workplace, at work-related events, between employees, or between an employer and employee. Allows for confidentiality only at the employee's request or if the employee agrees to a confidential settlement.
Gender Identification on ID Cards
HB1165 HD2 Expands the available gender options on driver's license and state identification cards to include a non-binary option.
Equal Pay
HB1192 HD2 Expands the list of protected classes under Hawaiʻi's equal pay law to include gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, color, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, and domestic or sexual violence victim status. Requires employers to provide wage ranges to employees and prospective employees. Clarifies the factors that employers can use to justify differences in compensation.
Teacher Salaries
HB1143 HD2 Requires that teachers teaching at hard-to-staff schools be paid the greater of either the national average of a similarly situated teacher, with annual cost of living adjustments, or according to the teacher's salary schedule. Requires that teachers who are paid the national average forego any pay differential.
Early Education
HB921 HD2 Establishes an Executive Office on Early Learning to oversee state-funded early learning programs, except for special education and Title I-funded pre-kindergarten programs.
Water Rights
HB1326 HD2 Extends revocable water rights permits to allow for ten consecutive one-year holdovers of water permits, and requires the automatic continuation of water permits while contested cases are pending until the completion of the proceedings.
Transient Accommodations
HB419 HD2 Allows counties to receive state funds to enforce transient accommodation laws.
Fireworks
HB89 HD2 Holds property owners or renters criminally liable for the possession or explosion of aerial devices on their property, and allows police to use witness accounts, photographs, video or other recordings as probable cause for arrest.
HB497 HD1 Establishes a task force to examine the illegal import of fireworks and contraband into Hawaiʻi.
Invasive Species
HB201 HD1 Gives state, county, and authorized agents the authority to enter private property to control and eradicate invasive species.
Landlord-Tenant Code
HB931 HD2 Prohibits a landlord from evicting a tenant if the landlord fails to maintain the habitability of the premises and the tenant continues to pay fair-market value of the rent. Caps a tenant's rent at the fair-market value if the habitability of the premises is significantly impaired. Allows tenants who are wrongfully removed to recover two months' rent or two months' free occupancy. Allows landlords to recover possession of the premises once it is restored to a habitable condition and upon termination of the rental agreement.
Civil Asset Forfeiture
HB748 HD2 Prohibits civil asset forfeiture unless the owner is convicted of a felony. Requires that half of all forfeited property is distributed to the Hawaiʻi Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program and half to the general fund.
Natural Disaster Mutual Assistance Agreement
HB1305 HD2 In the case of a natural disaster or emergency, authorizes State electric and gas utilities to enter into a mutual assistance agreement with out-of-state utilities to assist in the restoration of the State's electrical or natural gas power.
Aloha Stadium
HB1497 HD3 Establishes the Stadium Development District comprised of all state land under the Stadium Authority's jurisdiction. Authorizes Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority to facilitate the development of all state property within the District including building a new stadium.
Rapid Transportation Authority
HB118 HD1 So as not to conflict with federal proceedings, repeals the requirement that the Auditor conduct an annual review of certain rapid transportation authorities in the State.
Click here for a list of all 497 bills passed by the House of Representative so far this session.
* * * * *
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MOVES 197 BILLS ON ELECTION REFORM, CLIMATE CHANGE, MINIMUM WAGE, EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, CRIME, TAXES TO THE SENATE
News Release from House Democratic Caucus, March 1, 2019
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – The House of Representatives passed 197 bills on third reading today, moving them to the Senate for their consideration. The bills include measures on election reform, climate change and the environment, minimum wage, education, public safety, crime, taxes, and other important issues.
Here are some of today's highlights:
Elections
HB709 HD1 Proposes an amendment to the Hawaiʻi State Constitution to allow the Legislature to enact laws regarding how recounts are conducted in an election.
HB428 HD1 Requires an automatic recount of votes cast for a candidate or on a ballot question when the difference in the number of votes is equal to or less than 100 votes or 0.5 percent, whichever is greater.
HB626 Requires that vacancies in the offices of United States Senator, State Senator, and State Representative to be filled by a special election.
HB1248 HD1 Requires voting by mail for all elections statewide by the 2020 primary election, and establishes a limited number of voter service centers to receive personal delivery of mail-in ballots and offer same-day registration and voting.
HB210 HD1 Provides ranked choice method of voting for all partisan primary elections, special elections, and nonpartisan general elections held in the state on or after January 1, 2020.
HB627 HD1 Amends campaign finance law by requiring that candidate committee reports include independent expenditures in support or opposition of a clearly identified candidate, that the Campaign Spending Commission notify candidates of independent expenditures and publish the information on its website, and that noncandidate committees disclose all contributors for advertisements.
Climate Change and the Environment
HB461 HD1 Requires the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to address the impacts of sea level rise by identifying critical public infrastructure in impacted areas, identifying priority areas that will be subject to high rates of coastal erosion, developing a sea level rise adaptation plan, and reporting to the Legislature before the 2021 Regular Session about how to move forward with concrete strategies for mitigation and adaptation.
HB549 HD1 Requires new developments to plan for the impacts of projected sea level rise and prohibits development in areas significantly affected by projected sea level rise.
HB765 HD1 Requires the incorporation of sea level rise projections in all new plans and updates to existing state plans generated under the Hawaiʻi State Planning Act.
HB1487 HD1 Establishes the Honolulu shoreline climate protection pilot project to develop a plan to protect urban Honolulu from the acute impacts of sea level rise, floodwater, storms, and other impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
HB1121 HD1 Requires the Commission on Water Resource Management to update the Hawaiʻi water plan by addressing issues including climate change and sea level rise to ensure protection and management of water resources.
HB588 HD1 Requires the State Sustainability Coordinator of the Office of Planning to complete a holistic and comprehensive study and plan for green infrastructure opportunities in the State.
HB855 HD1 Renames the Building Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund as the Clean Energy Revolving Loan Fund and expands the fund's purpose to include a broader range of clean energy technologies. Transfers the fund's administration to the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority.
HB1585 HD1 Provides rebates for new electric vehicle charging systems or upgrades to existing electric vehicle charging systems.
HB1170 HD2 Addresses cesspool pollution by establishing a waste management solution pilot project to examine and demonstrate new toilet and sewage treatment technologies.
HB1548 HD1 Appropriates funds to study and combat rapid ʻōhiʻa death.
Minimum Wage
HB1191 HD1 Increases minimum wage rates annually from January 1, 2020 through January 1, 2024, with lower minimum wage rates for employees who receive employer-sponsored health benefits.
HB96 HD1 Authorizes each county to establish a minimum wage that is a higher wage than the state minimum wage.
Education
HB1275 HD1 Provides annual salary step increases and triennial longevity increases for public school teachers and educational officers who have completed a year's satisfactory service and comply with existing licensure and certification requirements.
HB247 HD1 Appropriates funds for the Department of Education to install air conditioning in public schools that prioritize the project.
HB251 HD1 Appropriates funds for laptop or tablet computers to be used by teachers and students for digital teaching and learning.
Driving Under the Influence
HB703 HD1 Prohibits any person convicted of Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant or Habitually Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant from purchasing or publicly consuming alcohol for a probation period following sentencing or administrative license revocation.
Crime
HB 1264 HD1 Authorizes the court to decree a forfeiture of an employee's retirement benefits if the employee is convicted of a felony related to the performance of the employee's job.
HB508 HD1 Requires persons arrested for felony sexual offenses to provide a DNA sample, and provides for the destruction of DNA samples and expungement of a DNA database profile when appropriate.
Public Safety
HB456 HD2 Requires the Director of Public Safety to develop policies and procedures to govern the use of force, including training and equipment, by deputy sheriffs, and requires less-than-lethal use of force training.
HB1176 HD1 Authorizes law enforcement officers of the Department of Transportation to use electric guns while performing their duties, and requires the officers to be accredited by June 30, 2024, for the use of electric guns.
Housing
HB476 HD1 Appropriates funds into to the Rental Housing Revolving Fund for the construction of low-income housing.
Federal Workers
HB1195 HD1 Establishes the Federal Furlough Loan Program to provide loans to eligible federal workers affected by the federal shutdown, and provides an emergency appropriation to carry out the purposes of the loan program.
Individual Development Accounts
HB334 HD1 Expands the eligibility for state-funded individual development accounts to include households with income up to 100 percent of the area median income, and expands the allowable uses of account funds to include rental housing, transportation, and small business development.
Transient Accommodations Tax
HB631 HD1 Authorizes each county to impose a surcharge on the transient accommodations tax, and repeals state distributions of the tax revenues to the counties.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
HB475 HD1 Disallows any deduction from state income taxes for the dividends paid by real estate investment trusts.
Childhood Sexual Abuse
HB18 HD1 Repeals statutory limitations on the time period in which a survivor of childhood sexual abuse may file suit.
Family Leave
HB1343 HD1 Extends Hawaiʻi family leave to include care for grandchildren.
Kupuna Caregivers Program
HB467 HD1 Requires the Executive Office on Aging to include details on outcomes of the Kupuna Caregivers Program in its annual report to the Legislature, and to create a plan to offer core services and maximize the number of participants in the program. Changes the Kupuna Caregivers Program allocation cap to qualified caregivers.
Electric Foot Scooters
HB754 HD1 Regulates the use of electric foot scooters by giving those who ride the scooters the same duties and rights as bicycle riders, and prohibits anyone under eighteen from operating an electric foot scooter.
The deadline for House bills to pass third reading in order to move to the Senate is March 7.
Click here for a list of all 328 bills passed by the House of Representative so far this session.
* * * * *
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MOVES 127 BILLS ON HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS, DISASTER RELIEF, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND FIREARMS TO THE SENATE
News Release from House Democratic Caucus, March 1, 2019
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – The House of Representatives passed 127 bills on third reading today, moving them to the Senate for their consideration. The bills include disaster relief for Hawaiʻi Island for damages and losses caused by the eruption of Kilauea volcano, homelessness, health, public safety, firearms, and other important issues.
Here are some of today's highlights:
Disaster Relief
HB 1180 HD1 Appropriates $60 million for disaster relief, recovery, mitigation, and remediation activities for the County of Hawaiʻi. Requires reporting of monthly expenditures to the Department of Budget and Finance.
Health
HB582 HD 2 Establishes and amends provisions relating to the care of the elderly and disabled in state-licensed care facilities. The bill authorizes the Department of Health to conduct unannounced visits for the inspection to relicense adult residential care homes and requires that adult day care centers be licensed or certified by the Department of Health.
Homelessness
HB 713 HD 1 Establishes a 3-year Homeless Employment Grant Program that provides homeless individuals with work opportunities and connects them with service providers. Requires the Department of Human Services to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the 2020 Regular Session.
Remote Testimony
HB 1153 HD1 Requires each house of the Legislature to establish, by rule, procedures for the public to present oral testimony at legislative committee hearings through remote testimony.
Consumer Protection
HB 314 HD1 Requires a certificate issuer to redeem the remaining value of a gift certificate for cash if the gift certificate has a value less than $5.
Firearms
HB 720 HD 1 Requires firearm owners to report lost, stolen, or destroyed firearms.
Public Safety
HB 1177 HD 1 Appropriates funds to purchase the Honolulu Federal Detention Center.
HB 1488 HD 1 Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services, in consultation with the Legislature and appropriate agencies, to develop and implement an enhanced security plan for the State Capitol. Appropriates funds to DAGS for enhanced security measures and security improvements, including vehicular barriers and for the Department of Public Safety to purchase or lease security screening equipment and contract private screening personnel for the State Capitol.
The deadline for House bills to pass third reading in order to move to the Senate is March 7.
Click here for a list of all bills passed by the House of Representative so far this session.