This bill, signed into law on July 9, 2024, updates Hawaii's housing finance statutes to better guide the allocation of funds for rental housing projects. It directly affects the state housing corporation and developers by establishing new definitions for project readiness, efficiency, and feasibility to evaluate loan and grant applications. The law prioritizes funding for projects with perpetual affordability commitments, followed by those serving low-income families, and finally mixed-income projects, while also setting strict limits on loan-to-value ratios to manage financial risk.
This bill establishes new legal procedures in Hawaii to address and prevent abusive litigation, where one party uses court proceedings to harass, intimidate, or financially harm an intimate partner. It directly affects individuals involved in family law cases, such as divorce or protection order disputes, by defining abusive litigation as lawsuits filed by partners who have a history of domestic violence against the other party. The law creates a specific framework for courts to identify these patterns and implement measures to stop frivolous or malicious legal actions that exploit the judicial system. By formally recognizing this issue, the legislation aims to protect survivors from having their time, money, and emotional well-being drained by strategic legal abuse.
This bill requires Hawaii's law enforcement standards board and agencies to check the National Decertification Index before hiring or certifying new officers to identify any history of misconduct. It also mandates that the board report specific actions, such as suspending certifications or opening investigations, to this national database. The law defines which state and county departments count as law enforcement agencies and sets a compliance start date of July 1, 2026.
This bill, signed into law on July 9, 2024, amends the Hawaii Revised Statutes to update the definition and language of the crime of tampering with physical evidence. The key change aligns the state's statute with the Model Penal Code by explicitly including the fabrication of false physical evidence alongside the destruction or alteration of real evidence. This update applies to anyone who destroys, conceals, or alters evidence, or introduces false evidence, with the intent to interfere with a pending or upcoming official investigation or legal proceeding. The law clarifies that "physical evidence" covers a broad range of items, including documents, records, and objects of physical substance. Finally, the act specifies that it does not affect cases or penalties that existed before its effective date and takes effect immediately upon approval.
This bill, signed into law as Act 234, updates the collective bargaining rules for public sector employees in Hawaii to specifically address how job classes are repriced. It requires employers to negotiate repricing requests from union representatives within thirty days and mandates a periodic review of class pricing at least once every five years if no agreement is reached. The law also establishes a limit of fifteen active repricing disputes at any time and clarifies when these specific disputes count as an official impasse that triggers arbitration procedures. These changes apply to negotiations occurring between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2029, though any negotiations started before the law expires may continue.
This message from the Governor of Hawaii informs the Legislature that Act 239 was signed into law on July 9, 2024. The law amends state statutes to make it a crime to use a computer to contact, harass, or surveil victims of specific offenses, including custodial interference, sexual assault, and privacy violations. The new provision applies only to crimes committed after the law takes effect and will automatically be repealed on July 1, 2027, at which point the original statute will be restored.
This document is a veto message from the Governor of Hawaii regarding Senate Bill 2512, which proposed changes to emergency management powers. The bill aimed to require the Governor to provide at least fourteen days of notice to the Legislature before using public resources during a state of emergency. The Governor rejected the measure because these notice requirements would hinder the ability to respond quickly and flexibly to disasters. Consequently, the bill does not become law and the existing emergency powers remain unchanged.
This bill establishes a special fund to support the state's dam improvement or removal grant program, ensuring that money set aside for this purpose remains available even if the current fiscal year ends before the program is fully operational. The legislation affects private dam owners in Hawaii who need financial assistance to repair unsafe structures or remove them, addressing risks to public safety while maintaining essential water and flood control benefits. By creating a dedicated fund, the bill prevents existing seed money from expiring and allows the state department to develop clear application rules and award grants for dam repairs or removals.
This bill establishes a task force to design a new state-initiated program that automatically clears criminal records for eligible individuals without requiring them to file petitions or pay fees. The proposed system aims to help people with past arrests or convictions regain access to employment, housing, and education while reducing the administrative burden on the legal system. By automating this process, the legislation seeks to remove barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized communities and potentially lower recidivism rates. The task force will be attached to the judiciary and will provide recommendations to the legislature and judicial council on how to implement these record-clearing procedures.
This document is a veto message from Governor Josh Green regarding Senate Bill 572, which proposes allowing the Department of Agriculture to declare a biosecurity emergency to address pest outbreaks. Under the bill, the Governor could take control of goods, property, or watercraft to manage such emergencies, a power the Governor argues could disrupt commercial harbor operations and the flow of essential goods. The Governor returned the bill without approval, citing concerns that the authority to requisition watercraft is too broad and could unnecessarily impact the timely movement of consumer goods, vehicles, and fuel.
This message from the Governor of Hawaii informs the Legislature that Act 251 was signed into law on July 9, 2024. The bill establishes a state goal for law enforcement agencies to increase the representation of female and nonbinary officers to 30 percent of their workforce by the year 2030. To achieve this, the law requires all police and law enforcement agencies in the state to actively recruit officers from diverse backgrounds, including those with varied educational histories. Progress toward the 30 percent target will be measured using the percentage of female officers employed by each agency as of January 1, 2023, as a baseline.
This document is a formal message from the Governor of Hawaii to the Legislature stating that he has returned Senate Bill 3068 without approval. The bill, which aimed to provide funding for recovery efforts following the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, was vetoed because it inadvertently eliminated financial support for the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. The Governor explained that removing these funds would harm affordable housing initiatives, a key priority for his administration, and noted that other existing funds could be used to support the wildfire recovery instead. Consequently, the bill does not become law, and the specific appropriations for wildfire recovery within it are not enacted through this measure.
