2023 Hawaii Senate Legislative Session Update

Homelessness & Housing

~ Ohana Ola O Kahumana Expansion: GIA for Kahumana to purchase the 4.5 acre parcel next to its existing transitional shelter in Lualualei Valley. The land will be used to create a kauhale for approximately 80 individuals experiencing homelessness. ($6.89m)

~ Homeless Crisis Stabilization Beds: GIA for Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) to provide six stabilization beds and assistance with transitional shelter placement, for unsheltered individuals. The project also includes a food distribution center and a Hawaiian Cultural Center. ($1.8m)

~ Kauhale Bill (SB1442): Appropriates $15m/year for the ohana zones pilot program, including expenses relating to operations, upkeep of facilities, provision of services, and administrative costs. Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds for the construction of facilities for the ohana zones pilot program. Establishes one position within the Office of the Governor that is responsible for the deployment of the capital improvement funds appropriated by this Act. Specifies certain exemptions shall apply to the ohana zone construction. A possible Kauhale site includes vacant land behind Nanakuli Sack and Save.

~ DHHL Supportive Housing (SB1040): Project aimed at providing DHHL wait-listers who are homeless or threatened with homelessness with supportive housing and services.

~ Transitional Shelter: Utilize former military officer's housing in Kalaeloa for unsheltered DHHL wait-listers

~ Ulu Ke Kukui: renovate a former transitional housing project into rental units for DHHL beneficiaries

Transportation

~ Paakea Road (SCR59 / SR53): Funding and Resolution urging the creation of a parallel route from Paakea Road to Lualualei Naval Road by removing the emergency access road gates

~ Contraflow & Turning Lanes: Add turn lanes at the Lualualei Naval Rd., Nanaikeola St., and Helelua St. intersections; extend the afternoon contraflow

~ Makaha Surfing Beach: Adopt the master plan by re-routing Farrington Highway further mauka to address sea level rise and improve safety

~ Speed Humps: Install speed humps at Princess Kahanu Estates, Nanakuli Valley Hawaiian Homestead, and other high-speed areas; lengthen existing speed humps to extend to shoulders.

~ Car Registration (SB1046): Exempt veterans from motor vehicle registration fees for 1 non-commercial vehicle

~ Makau Street (SCR193 / SR198): Urges the City to improve the Keaau Beach parking lot and surrounding areas as possible places for a bus turnaround.

Public Safety

~ Fire Prevention (SB409): $1.5m per year for a statewide fire prevention program

~ Kaala Farm: GIAs for fire prevention ($500,000) and fire prevention grant administrator ($50,000)

~ HFD Helicopter (City Initiative): Twin-engine 280 gallon bucket fire fighting chopper (3x HFD’s current capacity)

~ Called 2 Impact, Inc: GIA for At-Risk Youth on the Waianae Coast $58,000

~ Clean & Sober Homes (SCR36 / SR30): Resolution urging the City to more evenly distribute clean and sober homes and mental health facilities throughout Oahu

Education

Cool Classrooms: air condition all Waianae Coast classrooms by the end of 2023

Papahana O Kaiona alternative learning center: establish a facility and operations at the old Kaiser Building on St. John's Road

Waianae Coast Swimming Pool: collaboration between Waianae High, YMCA, WCCHC, & others

Youth Mental Health (SB1044): Appropriates moneys to hire school-based youth mental health specialists

Teacher Housing (SB941): Authorizes the School Facilities Authority to partner with public and private agencies to develop teacher and educator housing. Specifies Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, Waipahu High School, and Mililani High School as initial locations for the teacher and educator housing pilot.

"Waterman" Movie (SCR195 / SR200): Urges DOE to accept the filmaker's free offer to show the Duke Kahanamoku "Waterman" movie to 7th graders, and incorporate its life and history lessons into curriculum

~ The Recruiters: GIA for Music Production on the Waianae Coast $1.6m

Hawaiian Affairs

Grants to Non Profits (SB1609): Provide grants to non-profits serving Hawaiians in areas of economic development, online marketing, and burial repatriation.

Housing Credits & Exemptions (HB567): Provide DHHL with GET and School Impact Fee exemptions. Extend Affordable Housing Tax Credits.

Waitlist Successorship (SB738): Grant DHHL waitlisters who are terminally ill or aged 60 and over a lease which can be passed on to successors who are at least 25% Hawaiian. Allow heirs of wait-listers who are deceased to make a claim for a lease. This will preserve an ohana's place on the waitlist, even if surviving heirs are less than 50% Hawaiian.

Hawaiian Intellectual Property (SCR191 / SR196): Urging the establishment of a working group.

Hawaiian Language (SCR196 / SR201): Urging the appointment of a committee to plan expansion of Hawaiian language education in the DOE

Waianae Economic Development Council: GIA for Nanakuli Village Ctr digital hub & co-working space ($834,410)

Hawaiian Laws (SB16): Requires that the Hawaiian version of a law be held binding if the law in question was originally drafted in Hawaiian and then translated into English and if the law has not been subsequently amended, codified, recodified, or reenacted in English.

Environment

Pokai Bay Jetty: $5m CIP for re-design for improved circulation

Makua Management System (SB1258 / HB1267 / SCR39 / SR33): Requires DLNR to develop and implement a management system for Ka‘ena point state park, Makua, and Keawa‘ula regions

Flood Mitigation: Collaboration between Navy, City, State, and community groups in Lualualei Valley

Limu (SB1037): Designates Limu Kala (Sargassum echinocarpum) as the official Hawaiʻi state limu

Ocean Waste (SCR23 / SR18): Urges state to recognize the 4th Saturday of every September as "Trash Fishing Day"

Kingdom Pathways: GIA for Environmental preservation $238,669

Landfills (SCR57 / SR51): Resolution urging the City to provide real property tax relief to residents within a 1/2 mile radius of landfills

Ulehawa Canal (SCR192 / SR197): Resolution urging the City to conduct quarterly dredging, and extend the seawall groin further