how major bills fared at the capitol

How major bills fared at the capitolState lawmakers adjourned the session on Thursday after reviewing hundreds of bills. Here is the status of some of the most significant bills. Billsthat have passed have been sent to Gov. Neil Abercrombie for his signature or veto. The governor can also allow bills to become law without hissignature. Lawmakers can override vetoes by two-thirds’ votes in each chamber.

GOVERNMENT

PASSED

State budget(HB 200 HD1 SD1CD1)

Authorizes $11.8 bil-lion in fiscal year2014 and $11.9 bil-lion in fiscal year2015 for state spend-ing. Sets aside $100 million in fiscalyear 2014 and $117 million in fiscalyear 2015 to addressthe unfunded liabil-ity in the Employer-Union HealthBenefits Trust Fund.

PLDC repeal(HB 1133 SD2 Act 38)

Repeals the law thatcreated the PublicLand DevelopmentCorp.

Hurricane relieffund(SB 1092 SD1 HD1CD1)

Makes a generalfund appropriationof $50 million in fis-cal year 2014 to re-capitalize thehurricane relief fund.

Rainy day fund(SB 1094 SD1 HD1CD1)

Makes a generalfund appropriationof $50 million in fis-cal year 2014 to re-capitalize theemergency budgetand reserve fund.

Super PACs(HB 1147 HD2 SD2CD1)

Requires independ-ent expenditurecommittees to iden-tify top donors in po-litical advertising.

FAILED

Public-Private Partnership AuthorityEstablishes a newauthority for fiveyears to overseethree pilot develop-ment projects.

Voter registrationAllows for voter reg-istration at absenteepolling places beforeElection Day.

Campaign financeExpands a public fi-nancing program forstate House candi-dates.

ReapportionmentRequires state politi-cal boundaries to bedrawn based on thetotal number of per-manent residentsduring the census,including militarypersonnel.

Financial disclosureRequires state em-ployees and legisla-tors to discloseannual incomesources that totalmore than theirsalary if the sourceis a registered lobby-ist or lobbying or-ganization.

Banyan DriveAllows the state tolease certain proper-ties along BanyanDrive to HawaiiCounty.

Harbors and parksauthorityCreates a new devel-opment authorityfor state harborsand parks thatwould work with theprivate sector onrecreational andleisure projects.

BUSINESS/TAXES

PASSED

Hotel-room tax(SB 1194 SD2 HD1CD1)Makes permanentwhat had been atemporary increasein the state’s hotel-room tax to help sta-bilize the state’ssix-year financialplan. The tax hadbeen raised to 9.25percent, up from7.25 percent, to helpclose a budgetdeficit, and the in-crease was sched-uled to sunset byJuly 2015.

Film tax credits(HB 726 HD1 SD2CD1)

Increases a taxcredit for film anddigital media pro-duction to 20 per-cent on Oahu, upfrom 15 percent, and25 percent on theneighbor islands, upfrom 20 percent. Ex-pands the cap onthe tax credit perproduction to $15 million, up from$8 million. Extendsthe sunset of the taxcredit to 2019.

Hawaii Growth Initiative(HB 858 HD1 SD1CD1)

Creates the HawaiiGrowth Initiativeand provides $6 mil-lion to encourage en-trepreneurs.

High-tech research(SB 1349 SD2 HD1CD1)

Resurrects a taxcredit for high-tech-nology research.

Itemized deductions(HB 430 HD1 SD1CD1)

Exempts charitabledeductions from acap on itemized de-ductions for higher-income taxpayers.

FAILED

Income taxesEnds a 2009 incometax increase on thewealthy a year ear-lier than plannedand provides for amiddle-class tax cut.

Hotel-room tax increaseIncreases the hotel-room tax to 11.25percent in July, upfrom 9.25 percent.

Film workforceEstablishes a work-force developmenttraining programthat could offset thewages of new hireson film productionsthat claim tax cred-its.

Asset buildingCreates a stateearned income taxcredit to help low-in-come workers.

Fossil fuelsLevies the state’sbarrel tax on liquid,gaseous and solidfossil fuels.

Tobacco taxesImposes an excisetax on tobacco prod-ucts other than largecigars to raisemoney for a cancerresearch specialfund.

Casino gamblingGrants a 20-year li-cense for a stand-alone casino inWaikiki. Imposes a15 percent wageringtax on gross re-ceipts.

EDUCATION

PASSED

Preschool finance(SB 1084 SD1 HD1CD1)Asks voters in November 2014whether to amendthe state Constitu-tion and allow publicmoney to be spenton private pre-school.

School readiness(SB 1093 SD2 HD2CD1)

Expands the Pre-school Open Doorschild care programto serve about 900low-income 4-year-olds who will nolonger be eligible forjunior kindergarten,which is ending inthe 2014-2015 schoolyear.

21st-centuryschools(SB 237 SD2 HD1CD1)

Establishes a five-year pilot programat the state Depart-ment of Education toredevelop up tothree public schoolproperties to gener-ate revenue forschool moderniza-tion.

UH procurement(HB 114 HD3 SD2CD1)

Grants the state pro-curement officer,and not the Univer-sity of Hawaii presi-dent, the oversightof procurement foruniversity construc-tion projects.

Charter schools(SB 244 SD2 HD1CD1)

Requires charterschools to completeannual independentfinancial audits; callsfor criminal back-ground checks ofpeople working nearchildren; and sets upvarious other man-agement provisions.

FAILED

PreschoolEstablishes an earlychildhood educationprogram to movethe state toward uni-versal preschool.

GET for schoolsIncreases the state’s4 percent general ex-cise tax by 1 per-centage point toraise money for pub-lic education.

UH salary approvalRequires the Univer-sity of Hawaii Boardof Regents to submitto the Legislature forapproval salaryrange proposals thatare more than twicethe governor’ssalary prior to re-cruiting for univer-sity positions.

Tuition moneyProhibits usingmoney from the UHtuition and fees spe-cial fund to pay ex-ecutive andmanagerial salariesgreater than$150,000.

UH regent appointmentsAsks voters whetherto amend the stateConstitution so thegovernor no longerhas to choose UH re-gents from recom-mendations from anadvisory council.

CONSUMER PROTECTION/LABOR

PASSED

Unfunded liability(HB 546 HD2 SD2CD1)

Establishes an an-nual payment sched-ule for the state andcounties to addressthe unfunded liabil-ity in the Employer-Union HealthBenefits Trust Fund.

Domestic workers(SB 535 SD1 HD2CD1)

Provides basic laborrights and protec-tions for domesticworkers.

Home care reports(HB 120 HD2 SD2CD1)

Requires the stateDepartment ofHealth to post on itswebsite all inspec-tion reports fromstate-licensed carefacilities after Janu-ary 2015.

Construction bids(HB 1374 HD1 SD1CD1)

Allows state pro-curement officialsthe flexibility tochoose the sourceselection method forconstruction bids.

Financial abuse(SB 102 SD2 HD1CD1)

Requires financial in-stitutions to reportsuspected financialabuse of an elder tocounty police andthe state Depart-ment of Human Serv-ices.

Breastfeeding in the workplace(SB 532 SD1 HD1CD1)

Requires businesseswith at least 20workers to provideemployees with rea-sonable break timeto express breastmilk for one year af-ter their child'sbirth.

FAILED

Minimum wageGradually increasesthe minimum wagefrom $7.25 to $9 anhour by 2017.

Unemployment insurance taxAverts a scheduledincrease in the un-employment insur-ance tax onbusinesses this year.

Captive insuranceCreates a captive in-surance company tomanage the Em-ployer-Union HealthBenefits Trust Fund.

GMO labelingImposes labeling re-quirements on ge-netically modifiedproduce sold in thestate.

Labor disputesForces the HawaiiLabor RelationsBoard to resolvecomplaints within aset time frame.

Social mediaProhibits employersfrom asking employ-ees or applicants fortheir personal socialmedia account user-names or pass-words.

HelmetsEncourages motor-cyclists to wear hel-mets by offeringdiscounts on countyvehicle taxes.

CRIME

PASSED

Prostitution(SB 192 HD1 CD1)

Makes solicitation ofminors for prostitu-tion a crime and in-creases the statuteof limitations to sixyears from twoyears. Requires vio-lators to register assex offenders.

Mobile devices(HB 980 HD2 SD2)

Bans using mobileelectronic deviceswhile driving andpre-empts countylaws.

Background checks(SB 69 SD2 HD1CD1)

Requires county po-lice departments tofingerprint, photo-graph and performbackground checkson gun owners whowant to registerfirearms procuredout of state.

Simulated firearms(SB 2 HD1)

Includes the use offake firearms in first-degree terroristicthreatening and rob-bery offenses.

Seat belts(SB 4 HD2)

Requires all frontand back seat pas-sengers to be re-strained by seatbelts or child seats.

Cruelty to animals(SB 978 HD1 CD1)

Prohibits a sentenceof probation forfirst- or second-de-gree animal crueltyoffenses that involveat least 10 pet ani-mals.

Pet ownership(SB 9 SD1 HD2 CD1)

Prohibits convictedfirst-degree animalcruelty offendersfrom owning or liv-ing with pets for atleast five years.

Animal trapping(SB 6 SD1 HD1 CD1)

Establishes usingsteel-jawed andother leg-hold trapsin residential or pro-hibited areas as amisdemeanor ani-mal cruelty offense.

FAILED

Marijuana legalizationAuthorizes people atleast 21 years old toconsume and pos-sess small amountsof marijuana.

Marijuana decriminalizationDecriminalizes thepossession of up to20 grams of mari-juana but imposes a$100 civil fine.

Bus stop conductCreates a disorderlyconduct offense forlaying or sleeping onbus stop benchesfor at least one hour.

Red light camerasSets a three-year pi-lot program forcounties to test aphoto red light de-tector system.

Media shield lawMakes permanent a5-year-old law pro-tecting journalistsfrom the compelleddisclosure of confi-dential sources orother information.

HEALTH/SOCIAL SERVICES

PASSED

Homelessness(SB 515 SD2 HD1CD1)

Funds substanceabuse treatment,mental health sup-port, sober housing,and housing-firstprograms. Providesrental assistance forworking families. Es-tablishes a three-year pilot programto help homeless re-turn to their families.

Emergency contraception(HB 411 HD2 Act 27)

Requires hospitalsto provide sexual as-sault victims withemergency contra-ception and med-ically accurateinformation aboutthe drug.

Asset limit(HB 868 Act 18)

Eliminates the assetlimit to participatein the TemporaryAssistance forNeedy Families pro-gram.

Medical marijuana(HB 668 HD2 SD2CD1)

Transfers the med-ical marijuana pro-gram to the stateDepartment ofHealth from thestate Department ofPublic Safety by Jan-uary 2015.

Marijuana cards(SB 642 HD2 CD1)

Requires medicalmarijuana patientsto get certificatesfrom primary carephysicians, ratherthan any physician,by January 2015.

Foster care(SB 1340 SD2 HD2CD1)

Allows foster chil-dren, starting in July2014, to remain inthe foster system un-til they are 21 yearsold.

FAILED

Soda feeImposes a fee of 1cent per ounce onsugary beverages toraise money forstate obesity andchronic disease pre-vention programs.

Same-sex marriageAllows same-sexcouples to marry un-der state law.

Public hospitalsEnables public hos-pitals in the HawaiiHealth SystemsCorp. to go private.

Public hospitalstask forceEstablishes a taskforce to determinewhether public hos-pitals should engagein public-privatepartnerships.

Long-term careCalls for a feasibilitystudy and actuarialanalysis of a publiclong-term care insur-ance program.

Autism coverageRequires health in-surers to coverautism spectrumdisorder treatments.

Foster care payIncreases themonthly board reim-bursement rate forfoster care families.

ENVIRONMENT

PASSED

Green infrastructure loans(SB 1087 SD2 HD3CD1)

Establishes a greeninfrastructure loanprogram to providelow-cost financingfor solar that wouldbe repaid throughconsumer electricbills. Authorizes thestate to issue rev-enue bonds to gen-erate money for theloans.

Historic preservation(SB 1171 SD1 HD2)

Allows for thephased review ofhistoric preserva-tion on constructionprojects along corri-dors or large land ar-eas, where access isrestricted, or wherecircumstances dic-tate construction instages.

Pesticide reports(HB 673 HD2 SD2CD1)

Requires the stateDepartment of Agri-culture to post infor-mation aboutrestricted use pesti-cides on its website.

Shoreline access(HB 17 HD1 SD2)

Makes permanent alaw that requireslandowners to re-move unmaintainedvegetation thatblocks shoreline ac-cess. Deletes an ex-ception that allowedpeople to take onegallon of sand a dayfrom beaches, un-less the removal isfor a public emer-gency or traditionalcultural practices.

Agricultural practices(SB 326 SD1 HD1CD1)

Creates a good agri-cultural practicestask force to identifyand develop foodsafety guidelines forlocally farmed pro-duce.

FAILED

Solar tax creditsGradually reducessolar tax credits thathave proven costlyto the state.

Bag feeImposes a fee on sin-gle-use checkoutbags to help fundwatershed protec-tion.

Conveyance taxIncreases the con-veyance tax on high-end real estate dealsto help fund water-shed protection.

Ag bondsCreates a specialfund to help theAgribusiness Devel-opment Corp. use$175 million in rev-enue bonds to pur-chase Dole Food Co.land in Wahiawa.

Taro protectionDesignates tarogrowing lands asspecial agriculturallands to be pro-tected from develop-ment.

Industrial hempAuthorizes the stateDepartment of Agri-culture to run a two-year industrial hempremediation and bio-fuel crop pilot pro-gram.

MISCELLANEOUS

PASSED

School transportation(SB 1082 SD1 HD2CD1

Gives the state De-partment of Educa-tion more flexibilityover school bus con-tracts to curtailcosts.

Ballot handling(SB 827 SD1 HD1)

Prohibits busi-nesses, unions andpolitical candidatesfrom assisting voterswith completing ab-sentee ballots.

Financial disclosure(HB 1132 HD1 SD1CD1)

Requires state law-makers to file finan-cial disclosurereports each yearwith the state EthicsCommission in Janu-ary, when sessionopens, rather than inMay.

Parental rights(SB 529 SD1 HD1)

Prohibits biologicalparents from beingawarded visitationor custody of a childif the parent wasconvicted of rape orsexual assault thatconceived the child.

Booting(SB 1214 SD1 HD2CD1)

Prohibits anyonefrom applying wheelboots to disable mo-tor vehicles parkedon public or privateproperty.

Feral birds(HB 619 HD1 SD1)

Establishes the odorand filth that resultsfrom feeding feralbirds as a nuisancethat can be abatedby the state Depart-ment of Health.

FAILED

Elections CommissionRequires the stateElections Commis-sion to conduct per-formance reviews of the chief electionofficer every sixmonths.

Candidate residencyAsks voters whetherthe state Constitu-tion should beamended to requirecandidates for stateSenate or House tolive in the districtsthey want to repre-sent for at least oneyear before elec-tions.

Steven Tyler ActAllows civil lawsuitsagainst photogra-phers who takeunauthorized pho-tos of celebrities en-gaged in personal orfamilial activities athome.

Beer labelingAuthorizes the stateDepartment of Agri-culture to requestthat beer labels indi-cate the place of pro-duction if the beerwas not produced inHawaii but its labelgives the false im-pression that it was.

Homeless parkingDesignatesovernight parkinglots for homelesswho live in cars.

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