Categorized | Government, News

State senate passes nearly 200 bills including marijuana dispensaries

MEDIA RELEASE

Measures include marijuana dispensaries, funding for rail tax, construction for Kona courthouse and bodycameras for police

HONOLULU, HI – The State Senate today passed 135 House bills that addresses areasof domestic violence, beach protection, education, public safety, energy, and a number ofother measures aimed at ensuring the health and well-being of the residents of Hawai‘i.A total of 197 bills have passed third reading by the Senate and will be returning to theHouse.  A majority of the bills will go into conference committees where the House andSenate conferees will convene to settle differences between the House and Senate draftsand negotiate a final amended version.

Among the most substantial bills passed by the Senate: HB321, HD1, SD2 that establishes a system of medical marijuana dispensaries and production centers; HB134,HD1, SD2 which extends the half percent county surcharge on State tax for two, ten-year extensions to fund additional Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) transit routes; HB290, HD2, SD1 that appropriates funding for the construction of theKona Judiciary Complex; and HB365, HD1, SD1 which appropriates money for bodycameras for police officers.

“The Senate was prudent in passing out responsible House bills,” said Senator J. KalaniEnglish (D 7th District), Senate Majority Leader. “These are reasonable proposals andwe’re looking forward to conference to work out the details.”

Other significant House measures passed by the Senate include:

HB124, HD2, SD2, relating to elections. Requires the office of elections to implementelections by mail in a county with a population of less than 100,000, beginning with the2016 primary election; and in each county with a population of less than 500,000,beginning with the 2018 primary election. Beginning in 2020, requires all federal, state,and county primary, special primary, general, special general, and special elections to beconducted by mail.

HB58, HD1, SD2, relating to protective orders. Establishes a protective order card pilotprogram within the Honolulu family justice center to issue protective order cards uponrequest of individuals holding a long-term protective order issued by a court of the firstcircuit of the State.

HB464, HD1, SD1, relating to health. Appropriates funds for the purchase of anadditional ambulance unit for the Kakaako community, HB1063, HD2, SD1, whichprovides funding for an additional ambulance for the Moanalua, Aliamanu, Red Hill,Salt Lake and Foster Village

community, and HB481, HD1, SD1 that makes an appropriation for an ambulance based in Makalei on the island of Hawai‘i.

HB444, HD3, SD2, relating to beach protection. Authorizes the use of certain transientaccommodations tax revenues for beach restoration and conservation.

HB1042, SD1, relating to important agricultural lands. Appropriates funds for grants-in-aid to the counties for identifying and mapping important agricultural lands, preparingthe final submission package to the land use commission, and assistance with exploringcounty incentives for important agricultural lands.

HB1489, HD1, SD2, relating to special license plates for national parks. Authorizes theissuance of special license plates for Haleakala National Park and Hawaii VolcanoesNational Park.

HB858, HD2, SD2, relating to domestic violence. Permits the termination of residentialrental agreements in cases of domestic violence.

HB538, HD2, SD2, relating to domestic violence. Requires wireless telecommunicationsservice providers to release individuals from shared or family wireless plans, withoutcharge, upon written request in documented instances of domestic violence.

HB1112, HD2, SD2, relating to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. Requires theauditor to conduct a financial and management audit of HHSC every five years.Authorizes HHSC to negotiate master collective bargaining agreements for itsemployees. Authorizes a regional system of the Hawaii health systems corporation, incollaboration with a private entity, to transition any one or more of its facilities tomanagement and operation by a new nonprofit management entity. Appropriates anunspecified amount to the department of budget and finance for an unspecified numberof positions to coordinate the review of documents and examine the fiscal implicationsposed by a transition of any Hawaii health systems corporation facility to managementand operation by a nonprofit management entity.

HB1354, HD1, SD2, relating to housing. Authorizes the issuance of general obligationbonds and appropriates funds to several state agencies for the purposes of improving andincreasing the existing public and affordable housing stock in the State. Requires areport to the 2016 and 2017 legislature on the set-aside plan for upkeep and maintenanceof the housing facilities to be constructed.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

Quantcast