HONOLULU — After a major legislative deadline, the number of bills still alive in the Hawaii Legislature has dwindled. Proposals to boost the use of batteries for renewable energy and take parts of the federal Affordable Care Act into state law are survived. But the variety of unusual proposals to solving homelessness — from setting up sanctioned campgrounds to allowing people to live in driveways — had a mixed fate.
HONOLULU — After a major legislative deadline, the number of bills still alive in the Hawaii Legislature has dwindled. Proposals to boost the use of batteries for renewable energy and take parts of the federal Affordable Care Act into state law are survived. But the variety of unusual proposals to solving homelessness — from setting up sanctioned campgrounds to allowing people to live in driveways — had a mixed fate.
Here’s a sampling of what survived and what died. The bills marked “dead” are technically done for the legislative session, unless lawmakers bend the rules to bring them back to life.
DEAD
WELFARE WAGES — Taking aim at companies where a majority of workers receive public assistance, HB1458 sought to tax companies at a higher rate that have more than 20 employees and in which the majority of employees’ wages are at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level. But the bill didn’t get a hearing. Another bill to boost the tax rate for companies where the highest paid employee’s salary was 20 times employees’ average salary also died.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING — To boost the adoption of electric vehicles, advocates want to increase the number of charging stations required in a parking lot beyond one per 100 spaces. But proposals in the House and Senate didn’t meet the deadline.
DRIVEWAY LIVING — Looking for creative solutions to the homelessness crisis, a bill proposed allowing people to rent out space in their yards or driveways to people in need of a home. But the bill didn’t make it out of enough committees to survive.
URINE-FREE ZONES — Rep. Gene Ward and others wanted to declare bus stops, parks, playgrounds and parking garages “urine-free zones” and levy fines up to $2,000 for a third offense for urinating or defecating. But the bill failed to get a hearing.
ALIVE
PRESCRIBING HOUSING — A bill to classify homelessness as a medical condition with the goal of allowing doctors to prescribe housing is alive. But instead of requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of homelessness, the bill, SB2, was amended to direct the state auditor to study using Medicaid funds to cover the treatment of homelessness.
RENEWABLE TRANSPORTATION — About one-third of Hawaii’s fossil fuel consumption comes from ground transportation, according to the Blue Planet Foundation, a renewable energy nonprofit. A bill setting a goal that all ground transportation get 100 percent of fuel from renewable sources by 2025 is still alive.
ENERGY STORAGE — Hawaii leads the nation in residents installing solar systems. But incentives from local utilities have changed, so it takes customers longer to pay off new systems. Bills in the House and Senate would offer rebates or tax credits for installing energy storage systems, to encourage customers to store solar energy for use at night, becoming more self-reliant and helping to stabilize the grid.
HAWAII’S OBAMACARE — Republicans in Washington are working on a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Hawaii lawmakers want to save the parts of the law such as requiring insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions. Bills in the House and Senate are still alive.
HOMELESS SAFE ZONES — Hawaii is exploring allowing homeless people to camp in designated “safe zones” despite opposition from Gov. David Ige. Proposals in the House and Senate are still alive.
PURGATORY
HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE — A House bill to raise the minimum wage — now at $9.25 an hour — to $15 by 2021 died in the House. But a similar proposal is still alive in the Senate.