Senate and House Committees Pass Priority Legislation

Hawai’i State Legislature file photo.

A number of measures were passed by Hawai’i lawmakers on Friday.

Friday evening marked the final deadline to get legislation out of committees. Many bills passed aligned with outlined legislative priorities.

Bills approved by members of the Senate and House conference committees include legislation that addresses housing and homelessness and measures addressing health.

SB2561 SD2 HD1 would establish a goal of developing or vesting the development of at least 22,500 affordable rental housing units ready for occupancy between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 21, 2026.

In addition, SB2559 SD1 HD1 addresses homelessness by making available emergency and transitional shelter space and appropriates general funds to improve homeless shelter space.

Health-related SB2083 SD1 HD1 prohibits smoking in a motor vehicle when a minor is present.

Other Legislative priorities in which lawmakers approved bills include:

Mālama ‘Ohana (Providing for our Families)

SB2557 SD2 HD1 expands the concussion educational program established under Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, and incorporates additional concussion protocol program requirements. It appropriates funds to develop and implement the concussion monitoring and education program for school athletics and youth athletic activities, administer concussion testing to high school student athletes, and implements a concussion awareness program for public school students aged 11 to 13.

SB2315 SD2 HD2 exempts from jury duty a woman who is breastfeeding or expressing breast milk for a period of two years from the birth of the child.

SB2476 SD2 HD2 CD1 enhances early intervention language services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

Mālama Honua (Nurturing the Earth)

SB2647 SD1 HD2 prohibits the sale, offer to sell, purchase, trade, possession with intent to sell, or barter of any part or product from various animal and marine species.

SB2659 SD2 HD1 establishes an industrial hemp pilot program to allow the cultivation of industrial hemp and distribution of its seed in Hawai’i through limited activities by licensee-agents of the Board of Agriculture for purposes of agricultural or academic research.

Mālama Kaiaulu (Sustaining our Communities)

SB2566 SD1 HD1 CD1 transfers excess moneys from the rental assistance revolving fund to the rental housing revolving fund.

SB3077 SD1 HD1 designates the Office of Planning as the lead state agency for transit-oriented development coordination.

SB3109 SD1 HD1 CD1 supports and appropriates funds for the manufacturing development program with the High Technology Development Corporation.

SB2618 SD1 HD2 requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study of establishing an interisland and intra-island ferry system.

Mālama Aupuni (Good Governance)

SB2954 SD2 HD1 authorizes county police departments to enroll firearms applicants and individuals who are registering their firearms into a criminal record monitoring service used to alert police when an owner of a firearm is arrested for a criminal offense anywhere in the country.

SB2512 SD1 HD2 increases penalties for animal desertion, except where the animal is released as part of a game management program.

Bills are now headed to the full Senate for final reading, or have passed final reading and will be sent to Governor David Ige.

All Senate bills that have passed the Legislature can be reviewed on the Hawai’i State Legislative website.