[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6335639,"mediaKeyId","2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75","parentId",2288915,"title","Votes at a glance: Commerce committee advances multiple measures, defers several others","audioSeconds",2563,"startMs",11000,"endMs",2574000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75&start=11&end=2574","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75/thumbnail_11000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6335639/Hawaii/Votes-at-a-glance-Commerce-committee-advances-multiple-measures-defers-several-others","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335639-22b8afe23d6176b3e82efc483027fc40/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166057&Signature=UYSv6XSoLT~Haj3oUnhXXJljoU~J6pCzo23QULM-piVp8aQcAnd~4c-aCXB1moK-uLu-Xi5RgTjtt8zkeTpC7~JNL~yY4NFSN67NgccPS4tV4UDlGgabIKc72DBjYxPeT5A-XQJjlqNco7rm0cc59Z~n7uVosMpsTkL1~w0m4VYIs0932EZEdXVRydwNtGecHchxmWx4wJ19vNevIOKN9MXO3RRTIR2CL9PND67cs-g0Bs2qCj5Lnyfk2T5qqMfkeG~ZQwCtluJKPhm17LdpMAbf5Cjd7y5dVSau8P5TBx5wMvWga7dRaLmFlVMX~12zsSYBinTbbDX4WWCRzOlbBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection","date","2025-02-08T01:51:03Z","article","The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection recorded a series of recommendations on Feb. 12, 2025, advancing several bills with amendments and deferring others. The committee handled decision-making for measures that had been heard previously and also conducted new hearings before adopting recommendations.

Key outcomes

- SB 146 (condominiums): Committee recommended passage with amendments including mediator qualifications and early neutral evaluator language; effective date deferred to July 1, 2050. The recommendation was adopted.

- SB 147 (condominiums): Committee recommended passage with amendments clarifying small-claims accrual and associations\u0000 lien rights; effective date deferred to July 1, 2050. The recommendation was adopted.

- SB 1166 (insurance): Committee recommended passage with amendments to encourage (rather than require) insurer claims against responsible parties, to add a private cause of action in specified circumstances, and to add definitions for climate-disaster-related terms; effective date deferred to July 1, 2050. The recommendation was adopted.

- SB 985 (consumer protection/gift-card fraud): Committee recommended passage with amendments and deferred the effective date to July 1, 2050; referred to Judiciary (see separate article for hearing details).

- SB 1150 (health; provider protections): Committee recommended passage as SD1 with amendments (deleting certain sections related to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act) and the recommendation was adopted. Recorded roll-call included members voting both aye and no (Senator Fevella recorded a \"no\").

- SB 1429 (medical cannabis): Committee recommended passage with Department of Health and industry-proposed amendments; recommendation adopted.

- SB 1040 (medical debt): Committee recommended passage with a defective date; recommendation adopted.

- SB 1064 (cannabis-related amendments): Committee recommended passage with amendments that accepted Attorney General and industry changes and asked staff to realphabetize paragraphs; recommendation adopted.

- SB 463 (Kratom): Committee recommended deferral.

- SB 953 (hospitals): Committee recommended deferral.

- SB 1525 (electronic smoking devices and e-liquids): Committee recommended deferral after significant opposition from the Attorney General\u0000s Office, Department of Taxation, Department of Health and public-health groups.

Where decisions were made on the record, committee chairs announced recommendations and recorded votes. Several measures were passed \"with amendments\" and a number were deferred to allow additional drafting or interagency coordination.

What happens next: Bills passed with committee recommendations will move to their next referrals in the legislative process; deferred bills will remain under committee consideration pending amendments, additional testimony, or interagency work.

Abbreviations and notes: \"Defective date\" in committee discussion refers to deferring the bill\u0000s effective date for further consideration; several bills repeatedly used July 1, 2050 as a placeholder effective date for continued drafting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPN DEFER, CPN, CPN-HHS, CPN-HHS DEFER Public Hearings 02-12-2025","oneSentenceSummary","On Feb. 12, 2025 the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection (jointly where noted with HHS) recorded recommendations to pass several bills with amendments and to defer others; measures include condominium reforms, insurer climate-liability language, medical bills, cannabis and child-health protections.","taxTitle","Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, Senate, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25726,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6335643,"Senate committee defers e-cigarette manufacturer certification bill after widespread agency opposition",825,860000,1685000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75&start=860&end=1685","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75/thumbnail_860000.jpg","/articles/6335643/Hawaii/Senate-committee-defers-e-cigarette-manufacturer-certification-bill-after-widespread-agency-opposition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335643-1e1a0d347b9b3416e67c84f0b00e78a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166057&Signature=GJnI2RJePwacJAd~NAkUrvJTWwis6sEU64qm4dcNBt2DR92Be~1msgHI3GrYscJP8bCVc2-A-wMifBl5q1rjz9OctNRBB7zxxZozu-NeiDDbfjyYH57fZaNCbHqlWhpYWLO07hpPWO6zlMai-YZLjtYZhymptTupjgQRUXni3Gkrt1hWBH0u2kW0QnUk0evYFj0q6J~69p0FXGain1DYGtvF4kgU2uUKuC832RV4WtD8gcQhasfb38F5tcBGvDTY-6UQFKe7v8IsQ7eScEB06ZU9UnqQ24a3ETSVMiKCx9cJmfD1-4hOXb2VdQVxeG5lOJl932pBCRiPUxk6tLc~-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 1525, which would require manufacturers of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids to submit annual certifications to Hawaii\u0000s Department of Taxation and would authorize the department to maintain a public directory and impose penalties, was deferred by the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee on Feb. 12, 2025 after substantial opposition from multiple state agencies and public-health groups.

Why it matters: The bill sought to create a state-level certification and directory for e-cigarette manufacturers as a regulatory response to unauthorized products on the market. Opponents told the committee the proposal would conflict with federal law, duplicate existing federal lists, and impose administrative duties the Department of Taxation is not equipped to carry out.

Agency and expert objections: Chelsea Okamoto, deputy attorney general assigned to the state\u0000s tobacco enforcement unit, told the committee the bill would conflict with federal law under the Tobacco Control Act and noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized only 34 e-cigarette products. \"As of this morning, the FDA has only authorized 34 e-cigarettes under the Tobacco Control Act and they publicly stated if it's not on that list of 34 products then it should not be on the market,\" Okamoto said.

Winston Wong of the Department of Taxation said the department lacks subject-matter expertise and investigative resources to determine federal approvals or to police product compliance, noting the department historically focuses on revenue collection rather than product regulatory enforcement. The Department of Health, represented by Lola Urban for Director Kenny, and public-health organizations including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and the Coalition for Tobacco-Free Hawaii opposed the bill, saying it would not effectively remove unauthorized products nor address youth access to flavored products.

Committee action and rationale: Committee leaders cited the significant amount of opposition testimony and recommended deferral. The committee recorded the recommendation to defer SB 1525 to allow further consideration and coordination with state agencies and federal regulatory frameworks.

Next steps: SB 1525 is deferred from the Commerce committee for further work. Committee members noted questions about federal preemption, the statutory definition of e-liquid, the practical capacity of Taxation to administer enforcement duties, and the potential for the bill to allow unauthorized products to remain in the Hawaii market while FDA review is pending.

Votes and disposition: The committee recorded a recommendation to defer SB 1525 after oral and written opposition from the Attorney General\u0000s Office, Department of Taxation, Department of Health, and public-health advocates.","SB 1525, which would require e-cigarette and e-liquid manufacturers to submit annual certifications to the Department of Taxation, was deferred after written and oral opposition from the Attorney General\u0000s Office, Department of Health, Department of Taxation and public health groups.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6335648,"Senate committee advances bill to curb gift-card scams after testimony from victims and retailers",1268,386000,1654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75&start=386&end=1654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2288915-19bd62961e9a1b6f0108613652b03e75/thumbnail_386000.jpg","/articles/6335648/Hawaii/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-curb-gift-card-scams-after-testimony-from-victims-and-retailers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6335648-5aea82dbe3bc25dedea4adeedaee290b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166057&Signature=dbR0PIgxqiM9~RezM5nobrhSWtDjrAmRqho7BEu8DTqwoN~vVRXU9x0FQR3VTAeBd5KlXIJLuQI3ikO0vFzaBJne6SD-MOEJ6AHabEr2NLYnChNjoM0JArxpxXk-KetFknnxXiAiP3gemr6o-aFfE4Fw9Jf~JWB31kdOghrGVsYnPDp0R6ZLfJGXRMcA3LLcszt-vGiCODj5OBJdtGvqiBoOBI1sGxEumVAEuk0LhxJi8Hu2jE6vu~0pHqRANyI~HuBFaEZt1KUZupc4sxJqY6boNAo37EkUDdQlHedsq9KamU-118iVYD4yv-AS12uQCeCafc9yLF2qNJ0zKRw0rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","SB 985, a bill intended to reduce gift-card fraud, was recommended for passage with amendments by the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection on Feb. 12, 2025, after more than an hour of public testimony and questions from committee members.

The bill would add a gift-card fraud provision to the state\u0000s unfair and deceptive practices law and would require merchants and third-party resellers to take steps intended to prevent scams. Committee leaders said they will pass the measure with amendments and defer the effective date to July 1, 2050 to allow additional drafting and discussion before it moves to the Judiciary Committee.

Why it matters: Testimony highlighted that gift-card scams commonly affect older residents and cause substantial financial harm. Supporters said simple retailer measures could deter fraud; retailers warned about costs and urged stronger enforcement and penalties.

During the hearing, a woman identified in the committee roll as Rosie Davis said she was a victim of gift-card fraud and urged the committee to act on behalf of kupuna. \"I always thought I wouldn't be somebody that would be affected by it, but I was,\" Davis said. She recommended more secure packaging and placing cards at cashier stations to reduce theft.

Tina Yamaki, speaking for the Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said her group appreciates the bill\u0000s intent but opposed the measure as written because of potential retailer costs and limited efficacy. \"Having retailers having to put them behind locked cases and stuff, it does cost a lot of money,\" Yamaki told the committee, and said stronger criminal penalties and enforcement were needed.

Other testifiers included Alexa DeDoy and Rochelle Castro, both of whom spoke in support. Castro, who rejoined the hearing after initial connection problems, told senators that gift-card scams cost Hawaii residents more than $100 million in 2024 and argued that modest retail-cost changes would be warranted to protect vulnerable consumers.

Committee action and next steps: Committee leadership said they would adopt amendments, including changes to penalties requested by the retail merchants and other technical edits, then pass SB 985 with amendments and refer it to Judiciary. The committee recorded its recommendation as \"pass with amendments\" and deferred the measure\u0000s effective date to July 1, 2050 for further consideration.

The bill will next be considered by the Judiciary Committee, per the committee\u0000s referral. Implementation details, including the precise packaging or display requirements and the final penalty structure, were left to the Judiciary Committee and subsequent drafting.

Votes and disposition: The Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee voted to pass SB 985 with amendments; the chair and vice chair recorded aye votes and no objections were registered on the record at the time the recommendation was adopted.

The hearing included numerous written supporters and opponents filed for the record; the Judiciary Committee will receive the amended measure for further review.","The Hawaii Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection voted to pass SB 985 with amendments after testimony from victims, retailers and advocacy groups; the measure moves to the Judiciary Committee with the effective date deferred for further discussion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Commerce committee advances multiple measures, defers several others

Senate committee defers e-cigarette manufacturer certification bill after widespread agency opposition

Senate committee advances bill to curb gift-card scams after testimony from victims and retailers