Gov. Josh Green has signed seven bills into law with three weeks left in the legislative session, with 25 more awaiting his signature to become law.
As of Thursday the governor had signed into law six House bills — relating to elections, legislative agencies, suicide awareness and the designation of state snails and “kimchi day.” A seventh Senate bill relating to landownership had also been signed.
>> House Bill 1541
became Act 5, establishing a suicide prevention and awareness month effective July 1, although the measure doesn’t specify which month.
The state Department of Health said in written testimony that Hawaii sees over 200 suicides per year. “This bill, if enacted, will help educate the public on suicide prevention,” DOH wrote.
>> HB 129 — Act 1 — requires a mandatory recount during an election if the difference in a race is 100 votes or less, or one-quarter of 1% of the total votes cast, whichever is smaller.
>> HB 2520 — Act 2 — would appropriate funds for the expenses of the Legislature, auditor, Legislative
Reference Bureau, ombudsperson and Ethics Commission while exceeding the set expenditure limit.
The bill said the Legislature determined that the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2023-2024 had already been exceeded by 9.4% — just over $1 million. The act would add $28.6 million to the already exceeded amount, an additional 1% over the limit.
>> HB 1899 — Act 4 — would designate official state snails. Designating certain species as official state snails that are symbolic of Hawaii would “increase awareness of the imperiled status and cultural and ecological relevance of all Hawaiian land snails, preserve their cultural and ecological significance, and encourage continued conservation of native Hawaiian invertebrates,” according to the bill.
>> HB 1880 — Act 6 — changes the date for the post-election assembly of presidential electors to the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December following the election.
>> HB 1915 — Act 7 — amends the Uniform Probate Code by aligning the publication requirements for notices to creditors with recent changes.
>> Senate Bill 2387 — Act 3 — corrects language in state law regarding landowners’ duty to keep their premises safe for entry, for recreational use or to give warning of dangerous
conditions.
Bills on Green’s desk include nine so-called “good government” bills — HBs 1597, 1598, 1599, 1600, 1879, 1881, 2069, 2072 and 2231 — that are designed to make government meetings more transparent and accessible to people who want to testify, among others changes.
Green’s options are to sign a bill into law, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
The other House bills and one Senate bill now on his desk include:
>> HB 1595, which directs the state Department of the Attorney General to create a pilot project to initiate a state-led expungement process for arrest records related to specific cannabis offenses.
>> HB 1527, which would prohibit people without a veterinary license from
performing surgical procedures on pet animals, a
misdemeanor.
>> HB 1611, which requires law enforcement agencies and the Law Enforcement Standards Board to consult the National Decertification Index and provide specific information regarding a law enforcement officer’s certification status to the index.
>> HB 1842, which increases the maximum fine for violations of the fire protection laws and raises the criminal penalty for the offense of fourth-degree arson to a Class C felony under certain circumstances.
>> HB 1869, which establishes the felony offenses of misuse of uncrewed aircraft in the first, second and third degrees.
>> HB 1950, which would dedicate Nov. 22 each year to kimchi, the flavorful
and beloved Korean side dish.
David Suh, president of the United Korean Association of Hawaii, said in written testimony in support that “Kimchi Day” would affirm Hawaii’s commitment to inclusivity, cultural appreciation and a celebration of culinary diversity. Suh said it’s important, especially in Hawaii, to find acceptance in different
cultures.
>> HB 2071 would
provide that a clear and unobstructed recorded image of a motor vehicle’s license plate by a photo red-light imaging detector system serves as apparent evidence that the vehicle matches the license plate issued to it.
>> HB 2295 authorizes stopping, standing and parking restrictions and prohibitions on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation and the counties.
>> HB 2342 prohibits carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate misdemeanor offense.
>> HB 2352 would exempt the administrator of the Law Enforcement Standards Board from civil service laws, clarify membership and certain powers and duties of the Law Enforcement Standards Board and establish new deadlines for the completion of board
responsibilities.
>> HB 2425 specifies the retention of perpetrators’ names in the central registry for confirmed reports of child abuse or neglect, defines expungement criteria and establishes a request-based expungement
process.
>> HB 2444 authorizes the Health Department to conduct criminal history record checks of applicants for permits to operate as hemp processors.
>> HB 2483 authorizes the state Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation to conduct criminal background checks on
volunteers, contractors and their staff directly involved in correctional programs or services for incarcerated people.
>> HB 2513 “expands expungement eligibility to persons whose convictions for consuming a measurable amount of alcohol while under the age of 21 or first-time property offenses predated current expungement
provisions.”
>> HB 2526 would increase the penalty for a third or subsequent offense involving the unauthorized driving or operation of
motor vehicles to a Class C felony.
>> SB 2354 expands the definition of “beer” within the context of intoxicating liquor laws — encompassing any alcoholic beverage containing not less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, including alcohol seltzer beverages but explicitly excluding sake, cooler beverages and other distilled products.
Under the law, brew pubs would be allowed to sell beer they make, or beer made on their property, as long as they meet specific requirements.
