Legislation

Establishes the Tenant Protection Working Group within the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation to address certain tenant protection issues in the State. Requires the Tenant Protection Working Group to report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds.

Establishes factors under which officers may arrest and detain persons without a warrant for petty misdemeanors and violations, and requires officers to document the justification for the arrests. Amends the circumstances under which officers may issue citations in lieu of arrest. Requires officers to issue citations in lieu of arrest for certain petty misdemeanors and violations, unless public safety or flight risks are present or the alleged offense involves operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant or the abuse of family or household members. Requires the Judiciary to promulgate a standardized citation form and updates the required information for citations. Requires citations be visible on an offender's criminal record. Requires the Criminal Justice Research Institute to submit reports.

Prohibits the assessment of any fees, fines, or court costs against a person who was adjudicated for an offense committed during the person's minority, or against the person's parent or guardian, and discharges all related debt obligations assessed before the effective date of the Act. Encourages the use of community service and other programs that employ aina-based principles. Repeals certain penalties imposed on parents, guardians, or other persons associated with unaccompanied children in streets and unmarried minors in dance halls.

Requires the Civil Rights Commission to establish a twenty-four-hour intake helpline to assist individuals who experience or witness civil rights violations in the State. Requires the Civil Rights Commission to compile an annual report and hold an annual public hearing on data obtained through the helpline. Requires the Civil Rights Commission to compile and submit to the Legislature, and post on its website, a monthly preliminary report on data obtained through the helpline. Appropriates funds to establish an unspecified number of Civil Rights Investigator, Data Analyst, and Program Manager positions within the Civil Rights Commission. Appropriates funds for the Civil Rights Commission to contract with Aloha United Way to implement the twenty-four-hour intake helpline and for website and data development costs.

Establishes the Hawaiʻi Center for Policing and Criminal Justice Research within the Social Science Research Institute, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa to house the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab. Requires law enforcement agencies and law enforcement oversight agencies to collect and report certain data regarding law enforcement stops, uses of force, and complaints to the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab. Requires the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab to collect and publish incident-level information and an annual report on the data collected. Requires the Department of the Attorney General to adopt rules, in coordination with the Hawaiʻi Crime Lab, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and any community advisory boards. Appropriates funds for the establishment and operation of the Hawaiʻi Center for Policing and Criminal Justice Research within the Social Science Research Institute, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa to support implementation.

By 1/1/2029, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2030, requires the Department to begin receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program. Excludes paid family and medical leave benefits from income tax.

Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to study the impacts of disallowing the dividends paid deduction for real estate investment trusts. Requires a report to the Legislature.

Establishes the Hawaiian Sense of Place Recognition Act. Requires the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to develop educational and outreach programs to promote understanding of the Hawaiian sense of place among residents, visitors, and public employees. Requires state agencies to incorporate Hawaiian sense of place principles into land planning, management, and state construction projects.