Hawai‘i governor signs 16 bills to enhance protection and care of keiki, kūpuna

Gov. Josh Green on Monday signed 16 bills intended to enhance the protection and care of Hawaiʻi keiki and kūpuna and to ensure safety in Hawaiʻi schools.

“These legislative measures represent a significant step forward in safeguarding our most vulnerable populations — our keiki and kūpuna,” said Gov. Green. “Our schools need to be safe environments for learning and our kūpuna need to have access to the services they need.”

The new laws include:

• HB 2400: ADDRESSING TEACHER MISCONDUCT
  Requires teachers who resign or retire during an investigation into allegations of sexual assault, harassment, or physical abuse, to forfeit their teaching licenses. This forfeiture must be reported to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, which closes the loophole that allows teachers accused of serious misconduct to continue teaching elsewhere if they resign or retire in lieu of being disciplined. The new rules take effect upon approval.
  
• HB 2224: COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM CARE PLAN
  Requires the Executive Office on Aging, in coordination with the State Health Planning and Development Agency, to create a comprehensive long-term care plan to accomplish certain long-term care policy goals that ensure the availability of a full continuum of institutional and community-based services for Hawaiʻi’s growing elderly population in Hawaiʻi with disabilities and chronic conditions. The bill emphasizes the preference for home-based care and aims to develop a comprehensive long-term care plan to ensure a continuum of care services. The bill also appropriates $79,872 for FY 2024-2025 to establish a long-term care planner position.
  
• SB 2305: ESTABLISHMENT OF A SILVER ALERT PROGRAM
  To protect vulnerable seniors and individuals with cognitive impairments or developmental disabilities who go missing, this program will utilize systems like the emergency alert system and wireless emergency alerts to disseminate information quickly and efficiently. The Department of Law Enforcement will develop and implement the program, with activation conditions including age, cognitive impairment, or developmental disability and a credible threat to the individual’s health and safety. The act appropriates $250,000 for FY 2024-2025 to establish and operate the program, effective July 1.
  
• SB 2475: CREATION OF A “HARM TO STUDENTS” REGISTRY
  Establishes a “harm to students” registry to prevent school employees, contractors or volunteers who have inflicted harm on students from gaining employment in schools. Reporting institutions must certify due process, consult the registry before hiring and share investigation information. The registry is exempt from public disclosure laws, and institutions must defend and indemnify the Department of Education from related liability.
   
• HB 2430: ESTABLISHMENT OF A SUMMER EBT PROGRAM FOR OUR KEIKI
  Aims to maximize participation in the federal summer electronic benefits transfer for children program. The Department of Education will work with the Department of Human Services to share necessary data and comply with federal regulations. The bill appropriates $53,500 for the Department of Education and $2,050,000 for the Department of Human Services for FY 2024-2025, contingent on matching federal funds.

“Ensuring that our keiki have access to nutritious meals during the summer months is my administration’s utmost priority. This program will make sure that as many families as possible are participating to enhance our state’s food security and promote healthy development for our keiki,” Green said.