Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green signs 253 bills into law

Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green has enacted 253 of the 260 bills passed during the 2024 legislative session.

As of July 10, Gov. Green hosted 16 bill signing ceremonies for 137 bills on issues related to short-term rental regulation, good government, affordable housing, environmental protections, native Hawaiian cultural preservation, health care systems, as well as historic income tax reform and reducing the cost of living.

Some developments during the last legislative session include:

On July 9, Gov. Green signed HB 1800 (Act 230, SLH 2024), the supplemental budget act which amends Act 164, SLH 2023, and appropriates $19.1 billion across all means of financing, including more than $10.3 billion in general funds for operating support for fiscal year 2025. For capital improvement projects, or CIP, $4.5 billion is appropriated across all means of financing, including $1.4 billion in general obligation bond funds for construction projects statewide.

Gov. Green enacted line-item budget reductions totaling $74.2 million for operating in general funds for fiscal year 2025. No cuts to social services were considered or included in the line-item reductions. After these modest operating reductions, every program has a base level of general funds for fiscal year 2025 that is greater than those in previous supplemental years. These line-item reductions represent less than 1% of the total state budget.

Gov. Green also enacted line-item budget reductions totaling $79.5 million for CIP in general funds for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. For CIP, general obligation bond funds are the preferred means of financing. Each CIP program has substantial general obligation bond fund appropriations to continue improving facilities for schools, libraries and universities.

On June 3, Gov. Green signed HB 2404 (Act 46, SLH 2024) into law, providing significant tax relief to Hawaiʻi’s working families. The largest income tax cut for working families in the state’s history, this legislation increases the standard deduction, which benefits low- and medium-income households and amends the tax brackets by eliminating the lowest brackets and lowering the tax rates for all brackets.

In signing this historic bill, the Green Administration studied the impacts of all the tax proposals under consideration in the Legislature, including the Child Care Tax Credit advocated by the Progressive caucus. Research by the Department of Taxation showed that this tax cut was, by far, the most effective and significant policy approach to support working families. The tax cut provides 10 times more benefits to working families than the childcare tax credit, amounting to a 71% decrease in income tax by 2031.

On May 3, Gov. Green signed SB 2919 (Act 17, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi (SLH) 2024) into law, which clarifies the counties’ authority to control the time, place, manner and duration of land uses, particularly transient accommodations including short-term rentals. SB 2919 will expand the counties’ zoning powers and broaden the scope of the Transient Accommodations Tax Law.

On June 27, Gov. Green signed HB 2159 (Act 87, SLH 2024), which amends Hawaiʻi’s mental health statute to emphasize enhanced support for individuals needing assisted community treatment. These changes, which require the Department of the Attorney General to assist in preparing and filing petitions for assisted community treatment and allow private petitioners to decline, aim to streamline access to mental health services and divert individuals away from the criminal justice system, promoting a more compassionate and effective approach to mental health care in Hawaiʻi.

On June 20, the Green Administration joined plaintiffs representing Hawaiʻi’s youth in announcing the resolution of the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation constitutional climate case. Approved by the court, the agreement creates a framework to be executed by the HDOT that further confirms Hawaiʻi’s position as one of the leading states in the nation in moving from a transportation system that depends on fossil fuels to a cleaner and safer system that supports a transition to vehicles that run on clean electricity or alternative fuels and gives people more choices to get around by walking, cycling/scootering and riding public transit.

On July 1, Gov. Green signed HB 2430 (Act 155, SLH 2024), which aims to maximize participation in the federal summer electronic benefits transfer for children program. The act requires the Department of Education to work with the Department of Human Services to share necessary data and comply with federal regulations. The act appropriates $53,500 for the Department of Education and $2,050,000 for the Department of Human Services for FY 2024-2025, contingent on matching federal funds.

On July 5, in response to the 2023 Maui wildfires, Gov. Green signed legislation for fire safety and disaster resilience, including legislation that would create the Office of the State Fire Marshal (Act 209, SLH 2024) to enhance fire safety and prevention across Hawaiʻi and establish an Illegal Fireworks Task Force to improve public safety (Act 208, SLH 2024).

Gov. Green also signed more than 116 additional bills, separate from the public signings in his ceremonial room.

Gov. Green issued seven vetoes on July 9, due to legal, fiscal and governmental operational efficiency concerns.

Highlights of enacted laws for the people of Hawaiʻi include:

• Good Government Bills (six bills)
• Short-term Rental Regulation Bill
• Affordable Housing Bills (six bills)
• Condo Owner Relief Bills (five bills)
• Historic Income Tax Reform Bill and Medical Care GET Exemption Bill
• Healthcare Access and Healthcare Workforce Development Bills (22 bills)
• DHHL and Native Hawaiian Bills (13 bills)
• Keiki and Kupuna Wellness Bills (16 bills)
• Agriculture Bills (12 bills)
• Wildfire Resilience and Disaster Preparedness Bills (16 bills)
• Environmental Conservation and Land Management Bills (16 bills)
• Crime and Community Safety Bills (17 bills)
• Designating State Snails Bill
• Water Safety Bills (two bills)

Bills enacted into law by Gov. Green may be found on the Hawaiʻi State Legislature website.