Community Collab Top Bill Ideas

In October 2023,  CSC hosted a Bill-Outlining Collab for its members and community partners. We identified some new bill ideas, and some past bills that many would like to support this session.

Agriculture Economic Development

  • Establishes the sustainable food systems working group within the department of agriculture.

  • Permits to grow hemp/cannabis, must be accompanied by 1:10 ratio of growing food for local consumption, ie 1 acre of hemp to 10 acres of food production. Issue first hemp permits to people growing food already. Ratio can be explored

  • Requires the department of education to establish rules for the procurement of goods and services related to the administration of food programs at public schools that incorporate a geographic preference for unprocessed locally grown and locally raised food products

  • State agricultural land may have temporary housing structures not more than 750 square feet per unit, with no more than 4356 of square feet of covered dwellings per acre. There must be portable toilets that are properly managed and supply of potable water for sinks/sanitation. Living close to crops will reduce thefts and remove transportation barriers for early morning farm workers.

  • Establishes an Extended Producer Responsibility Program. Requires certain producers of fast-moving consumer goods to register with the Department of Health and pay an annual fee based on the amount of packaging volume the covered producer places on the market each calendar year.

Climate, Energy and Carbon Reduction

  • Installing Solar/storage on all state facilities with first responder’s facilities given priority

  • Provides rebates to low to moderate income families towards purchasing EVs

  • Establishes and appropriates funds for a solar energy storage system loan program to provide asset limited, income constrained, employed households with low-interest loans to purchase and install solar energy storage system

  • Requires rental vehicle companies using state facilities to pay or reimburse the State to construct new or use existing state electric vehicle charging infrastructure at those facilities, beginning January 1, 2028.

  • Streamlines permitting of solar distributed energy systems

  • Establishes a carbon emissions tax credit. Expands the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to include carbon emissions. Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Department of Taxation, to recommend updates to the tax per fuel and corresponding tax credits.Item description

Environmental Protection

  • Requiring priority level 1 cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected before 1/1/2030, and priority level 2 cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected before 1/1/2035, rather than before 1/1/2050.

  • Prohibits the manufacture, sale, offer for sale, distribution for sale, and distribution for use of any food packaging, food service ware, cosmetic, or personal care product that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, with certain exceptions.

  • PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT THE INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE TO CLEAN WATER AND AIR, A HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE, HEALTHY NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS, AND BEACHES.

Government Accountability

  • Requires Governor to certify that lessee is in "good standing" before signing new lease or renewal or extension of existing leases of state land; lessee shall not have arrears of payment, no violations of state or federal laws related to state lands, is in compliance and up to date on all MOU/As related to clean up of state lands.

  • Require the state DOE to submit a budget request that accurately reflects the actual funding needed to deliver high quality public education.

  • Establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State, to begin with the 2026 general election year. Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to submit a progress and final report to the Legislature.

State Revenue Collection

  • Psilocybin is a medicinal psychoactive component released when certain varieties of edible mushrooms are ingested. Research out of Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College in London, and other major research institutions has determined that when administered in a clinical setting, it has the potential to assist in the treatment of various issues related to addiction, depression, and anxiety.

  • Exempts all gross proceeds derived from the sale of certain groceries, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products, and over-the-counter drugs from the general excise tax.

  • Temporary surcharge on TAT for Maui Just Recovery Fund

  • Establishes that possession of cannabis by an adult in the amount of four ounces or less without a prescription shall be lawful and requires all convictions for such acts be expunged. Transfers the powers and duties of the Department of Health under state law governing medical cannabis dispensary system, including powers and duties over medical marijuana dispensary operations, licensing, testing, and administration, to the Hawaiʻi cannabis authority.

  • Collect surcharge on habitable dwellings left vacant by investors for more than 180 days a year. Reparations for loss of GET & income tax revenue that would have offset costs of state funded infrastructor supporting real estate investments. Item description

  • Taxes capital gains income at the same rate as ordinary income.

Workforce Support

  • increase the income of tipped workers by gradually phasing out the tip credit so that all employers shall be required to pay all employees at least the minimum wage

  • Establishes the Access to Local Food Act to allow cottage food operations to sell cottage food products, under certain conditions, upon receiving a permit from the Department of Health.

  • Design, construction and/or renovation of state buildings used to house or employ 100+ residents/workers, requiring over $1M in state funds, shall include day care facilities for keiki and/or kupuna with appropriate restroom and food reheating facilities suitable for end use.

  • Requires employers to provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave to employees and supplemental paid sick leave to employees under certain public health emergency conditions.

  • All businesses and employees covered; 16 weeks of leave; Workers restored to the same position; Progressive wage replacement: Those who earn less than half of the average weekly wage would receive 90% of their weekly earnings, while middle-income to higher-income workers would receive 50-75% of their weekly earnings, with a weekly cap.

  • Exempts birth attendants practicing on or before 7/1/2025 from licensure requirements, under certain conditions. Expands qualifications for licensure to include the North American Registry of Midwives portfolio evaluation process.

Consumer Advocacy

  • Establishes an ombudsman's office for homeowner associations within the department of commerce and consumer affairs. Establishes an ombudsman's office special fund. Requires board members of condominium associations, cooperative housing corporations, and planned community associations to meet certain educational requirements through classes offered by the ombudsman.

  • Require registration for condominium associations to be on an annual basis, rather than on a biennial basis. Add an additional annual condominium education trust fund fee to be used to support the annual registration with attached documents of the association. Amends the documents required for association registration. Broadens the list of documents an association must be maintained. Clarifies when such documents must be provided to unit owners.

  • Expand the Real Estate Commission's enforcement authority to include violations of requirements of association meetings and board elections, requires directors to certify compliance with specified duties and obligations, eliminates proxy voting, allows voting in person and absentee voting, and establishes penalties for improper voting and forgery of election documents.