HPR's coverage of the 2024 Hawaiʻi legislative session
Hawaiʻi Public Radio is tracking the latest news inside the Hawaiʻi State Capitol as bills progress through the 2024 legislative session, which runs from Jan. 17 to May 3.
In the wake of the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, lawmakers said they would focus on funding and supporting recovery efforts. At least 100 people died in the Lahaina fire, and thousands more lost their homes.
Hawaiʻi's Legislature operates on a biennial (two-year) system. 2024 is the second year of the current biennium. Bills that did not pass in 2023 can be revived at the same legislative stage they reached last year.
On this page, you'll also find interviews from HPR's The Conversation with state lawmakers, appointed officials, and elected leaders such as Gov. Josh Green.
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Have a legislative tip or story idea for Hawaiʻi Public Radio? Contact us at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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Long-term funding could finally be coming to the state’s DA BUX program. The initiative cuts the price in half for eligible produce grown by Hawaiʻi farmers, and this year’s state budget bill could allocate a recurring $1 million annually to DA BUX.
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A state legislative bill to create a pilot program for a state-initiated expungement process for Hawaiʻi County passed a final reading in the House and will be transmitted to Gov. Josh Green for approval.
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Hawaiian Electric faces its share of recovery costs and legal fees related to the Maui wildfires. State lawmakers are debating whether or not to allow the utility to recoup some of those expenses through securitization — a fancy term for public financing of utility debt. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote has more.
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A joint Senate committee has passed a resolution on Monday that would help identify cats and dogs killed on Hawai‘i roadways.
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Last week the Senate Committee on Ways and Means allocated the funding in House Bill 2619. That money would go toward more than 100 new and existing DOA positions related to the state’s management of invasive species.
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Lawmakers are considering a resolution that would address vegetation management to reduce risks of future wildfires. The group would focus on invasive, flammable grasses along utility lines and other vegetation growing on utility poles.
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Two measures that would allow counties to begin phasing out non-conforming use permits for transient vacation rental units passed out of both of their chambers. It would give counties more control over short-term rentals. HPR's Ashley Mizuo has more.