Legislature prepares for second crossover
The Senate met in a lengthy session yesterday to prepare for second crossover.
Both chambers of the state legislature met in marathon sessions yesterday to deliberate and vote on each other’s legislation before the internal second crossover deadline Thursday.
Since the two chambers exchanged legislation at first crossover last month, Senate committees have decided on House measures, and vice versa.
The full Senate voted to pass 135 House bills yesterday, and the House passed 129 Senate bills. Those bills and all others that have previously passed a vote by both full houses are now eligible for decision making by a joint House-Senate conference committee.
Bills of interest passing yesterday included:
Education
- Senate Bill 3252, which addresses the teacher shortage in the state through various initiatives and appropriates funds.
- Senate Bill 2878, which establishes an early learning system in the state, called Keiki First Steps, and creates the Early Learning Council to develop the system.
- House Bill 2770, which expands the Bridge to Hope program, enabling all heads of households who receive financial assistance and participate in the First to Work program to pursue education beyond the federal limit of one year of vocational education.
Health
- Senate Bill 3015, which amends the Patients’ Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Act by prohibiting certain unfair and deceptive business practices by managed care plans.
- House Bill 2224, which requires group health insurance issuers to offer small group health plans to registered and licenced self-employed individuals who are located in the group issuer’s service areas.
- House Bill 2164, which increases the sources of revenue available to support the Cancer Research Center of Hawai`i.
Judicial and Public Safety Matters
- Senate Bill 3202, which proposes a constitutional amendment to change the mandatory retirement age from 70 to 80 for justices and judges appointed after Nov. 4, 2008.
- House Bill 2685, which directs two state departments to design construction and operation of a new minimum-security correctional facility with immediate access to courts, public transportation, drug rehabilitation centers and transitional or reintegration programs, and to plan for additional community-custody beds at O`ahu Community Correctional Center.
- House Bill 3040, which creates two new offenses for sexual predation of minors, expands existing offenses for such crimes and imposes mandatory sentences.
Transportation
- Senate Bill 2245, which makes leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle a violation of the statewide traffic code.
- House Bill 3377, which requires installation of ignition interlock devices that prevent starting or operating motor vehicles on vehicles of those arrested for driving under the influence while the case is pending and license revoked.
- House Bill 2811, which requires weekly reporting of oil and gasoline prices by the oil industry to the public utilities commission and requires the commission to publish the reports and gas prices for each island weekly.
Sustainability
- Senate Bill 2842, which phases out and bans the use of certain lighting products that contain hazardous substances, establishes a statewide lighting efficiency standard and directs the Department of Health to develop a statewide recycling program for all fluorescent lamps.
- Senate Bill 2843, which requires manufacturers of electronic devices to collect and recycle devices and establishes the Electronic Device Recycling Fund.
- House Bill 2526, which enacts the Hawai`i 2050 Sustainability Plan, establishes a Sustainability Council to coordinate, implement, measure and evaluate the progress of the plan and its activities, and appropriates funds to the council.
The second crossover internal deadline is tomorrow, and thereafter legislators will meet in conference committees composed of both senators and representatives to negotiate details of legislation.