Other passed measures relate to cyber
security, crime, environmental protection and tax relief
Honolulu, Hawaii – As the Thursday deadline to crossover bills to the Senate approaches,
the House passed bills to alleviate prison crowding, support affordable housing
initiatives, protect kupuna from physical and financial exploitation, and fighting
invasive species.
The House voted to pass on to
the Senate today another 157 bills including measures addressing the state’s
goals on cyber security, crime, homeless support and tax relief. These measures reflect the focus of the House
majority on improving the lives of the people in Hawaii.
“Among the many
needs that we are addressing this session is helping our low- and middle-income
families ease their financial burden and increase rental and affordable housing
support for them,” said House Speaker Joseph M. Souki. “We have passed bills to
expand the renters income and food tax credit for low-income households,
authorized the issuance of general obligation bonds for rental housing and
mixed use affordable rental housing, updated the loan program to assist low-
and moderate-income households to become first-time homebuyers, and established
a loan fund for developers to finance infrastructure costs of affordable
rentals and fee simple housing developments.”
The House now stands in
recess and will reconvene to take action on any remaining final measures for
third reading on Thursday, March 19 at noon. To date, the House has approved
more than 360 bills this session.
Key measures passed by the
House today include:
Prison Crowding
HB1246 HD2 authorizes
electronic monitoring and surveillance of offenders in programs that offer
alternatives to incarceration.
HB462
HD2 requires the Department of Public Safety to solicit proposals for a new
correctional facility.
Housing Support
HB488 HD2 authorizes
the issuance of general obligation bonds for rental housing, mixed-use
affordable rental housing, a multi-use juvenile services and shelter center,
and public housing. Appropriates funds for public housing security
improvements, renovation, and repairs.
HB207
HD2 expands the low-income household renters' income tax credit based on
adjusted gross income and filing status.
HB530
HD2 updates and expands the Downpayment Loan Program under the Hawaii
Housing Finance and Development Corporation and establishes the Downpayment
Loan Loss Reserve Program to assist low- and moderate-income households to
become first-time homebuyers.
HB660
HD2 establishes the Infrastructure Development Loan Revolving Fund to make
loans to developers to finance the costs of the infrastructure of affordable
rental and fee simple housing developments, and appropriates funds for this
purpose.
Kupuna Protection
HB199
HD2 authorizes the Department of
Human Services to investigate allegations of the physical isolation of
vulnerable adults and take corrective action including obtaining judicial
relief.
HB432
HD2 makes financial exploitation of an elder by a caregiver a felony.
Invasive Species
HB655
HD1 appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to
assist the National Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to research the negative impacts of the rose-ringed parakeet on
Kauai and develop and implement a control plan to reduce the negative impacts.
HB1006 HD1 appropriates
funds to the Hawaii ant lab for personnel and equipment to support mitigation of
the little fire ant.
HB1301 HD2 provides
that a person or entity that is determined by the Hawaii Invasive Species
Council to have introduced an invasive species into the state may be strictly
liable for all or part of the expenses to eradicate the invasive species from
the state.
HB606
HD2 authorizes the counties to enter private property to control or
eradicate invasive species and pests.
Other important bills passing the House today and moving to
the Senate include:
Homeless Support
HB1240 HD2 appropriates
funds to the Department of Human Services for the coordinated Statewide
Homeless Initiative to prevent homelessness and rehouse individuals in the
State.
Taxes
HB209 HD1 HB209 HD1 expands the low-income household renters income tax credit
based on adjusted gross income and filing status. Establishes a state earned
income tax credit. Restores the tax
rates for high income brackets that were repealed in 2015. Removes the sunset date for the refundable
food/excise tax credit.
HB932 HD1 Gradually increases the credit amounts and amends the income
brackets of the refundable food/excise tax credit.
HB1012 HD2 temporarily disallows the
deduction for dividends paid by real estate investment trusts for a period of
15 years, but with an exception for dividends generated from trust-owned
housing that is affordable to households with incomes at or below 140 percent
of the median family income as determined by the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development.
HB1471 HD3 requires transient accommodations to register as tax collection
agents to collect and remit general excise and transient accommodations taxes
on behalf of operators and plan managers using their services. Ensures that the
subject property is in compliance with applicable land use laws. Allocates $1
million of TAT revenues to each county for FY 2017-2018 to comply and enforce
county ordinances regulating transient vacation rentals. Creates a surcharge
tax on transient accommodations brokers.
HB263
HD2 amends provisions related to licensed medical marijuana dispensaries by
imposing general excise tax on a percentage of dispensaries' gross proceeds or
gross income and allocating a portion of GET revenues received from
dispensaries to the Medical Marijuana Registry and Regulation Special Fund.
Agriculture
HB961 HD2 excludes
for income tax purposes a portion of income earned by farmers who grow or raise
food or value–added food products within the state and whose annual gross
income does not exceed a certain amount.
HB2
HD2 authorizes tiny homes of less than 500 square feet for farm workers in
agricultural districts in a county with a population of more than 180,000 but
less than 250,000.
Veterans
HB168
HD1 appropriates funds for the planning and design of a memorial to honor
service members of the recent conflicts in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan,
and the various theaters of the Global War on Terrorism, to be located at the
Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe and replicas to be located at state
veterans cemeteries statewide.
Cyber Security
HB 598 HD2 authorizes
and provides funding for the University of Hawaii to participate in and
contribute funding for the development of a Hawaii cyber ecosystem and related
aspects of cyber security.
HB814
HD2 adopts uniform laws on protecting the online accounts of employees and
students from employers and educational institutions, respectively.
UH Promise Program
HB1591
HD2 establishes the Hawaii Promise Program to provide scholarships for the
unmet direct cost needs of qualified students enrolled at a University of
Hawaii community college.
Crime
HB1501
HD2 reclassifies drug paraphernalia possession and delivery offenses from
felonies to violations subject to a fine of $100.
HB1172
HD2 allows probable cause for fireworks offenses to be established from
statements from witnesses and photographs, video, and other recordings
authenticated by witnesses.
HB680
HD2 Requires licensees under the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to
complete a one-time awareness education program on intimate partner violence
awareness and education
Police disclosure
HB456
HD1 requires police departments to disclose to the Legislature the identity
of an officer upon the officer's second suspension in a five-year period or
discharge, as well as certain employment misconduct related information upon an
officer's second suspension in a five year period.
Transportation
HB727
HD1 Allows motorcycles and motor scooters to pass between two same-bound
lanes when traffic is stopped.
Civil Rights
HB1489
HD1 prohibits a state agency or program or activity receiving state
financial assistance from excluding from participation, denying benefits to, or
discriminating against a qualified individual by reason of disability, sex,
including gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.
Quiet Title
HB860
HD1 provides that: (1) actions for
quiet title of kuleana lands shall be subject to mandatory mediation; (2) court
cases by the same plaintiff that seeks quiet title for separate kuleana lands
within the same court circuit shall be consolidated; (3) defendant's access for
cultural and traditional practices shall not be alienated or extinguished; and
(4) plaintiff shall not recover costs, expenses, or attorney's fees from the
defendant.
Finley’s Law
HB561
HD2 called “Finley’s Law,” this bill requires dentists who administer
general anesthesia, deep sedation, or moderate (conscious) sedation to post notice
of contact information for verification of the dentist's licensure and
authorization or permit to administer anesthesia and perform sedation.
Sex Abuse Prevention
HB 930 creates and appropriates funds for Erin's Law Task Force to
review policies, programs, and curricula for educating public school students
about sexual abuse and sex trafficking prevention, and report recommendations
for the establishment of a program to educate public school children on sexual
abuse prevention through age appropriate curricula.
Elections
HB1581 HD1 requires candidates for President and Vice President of the
United States to disclose their federal income tax returns in order for their
names to appear on a Hawaii ballot and prohibits Hawaii's electoral college
electors from voting for a candidate who has not disclosed this information.
Landlord-Tenant Code
HB223
HD2 allows a landlord or landlord's agent to charge an application
screening fee as part of the applicant screening process for renting
residential property. Sets limits on the amount of the application screening
fee and requires the landlord or agent to return any unauthorized fee amounts
to the applicant.
Reef Fish Collecting
HB1457
HD2 Places a temporary moratorium on the issuance of new aquarium fish
collecting permits until the Department of Land and Natural Resources has
developed a comprehensive plan for the sustainable management of nearshore reef
wildlife.
Drones
HB314
HD1 establishes prohibited uses of unmanned aerial vehicles for
individuals, law enforcement agencies, and public agencies. Provides certain
exceptions for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Makes certain uses of an
unmanned aerial vehicle a petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor and Class C felony
for a second of subsequent violations.
A complete list of
bills passed by the House to date is available on the Capitol website at:
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