RELATING TO THE HAWAII ABLE SAVINGS PROGRAM.

HB247

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

247

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the hawaii able savings program
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
The purpose of
this Act is to:

����
(1)
�
Repeal the requirement to
use
the Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund if the director elects to
accept deposits from contributors instead of sending deposits directly to the
ABLE program manager
;

����
(2)
�
Authorize the
director of finance to expend moneys in
the
Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund to provide incentive payments to Hawaii
public school ABLE account owners;

����
(3)
�
Appropriate
funds to the department of budget and finance to fund incentive payments; and

����
(4)
�
Appropriate funds
to the department of health to fund
a
position
to provide statewide outreach, advocacy, and relationship
management for the Hawaii ABLE savings program.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Section 256B-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]�256B-8[
]
]
�
Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund.
�
(a)
�

There is established the Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund within
the
state
treasury [
of the State.
�

The fund shall consist of
]
, into which shall be deposited:

����
(1)
�
Any
moneys received from an ABLE
savings program manager[
, any
];

����
(2)
�
Any moneys received from
governmental
or private grants[
, and any general fund appropriations for
]
;

����
(3)
�
Any moneys appropriated by the legislature for

the program[
.
]
;

����
(4)
�
Any moneys
deposited by contributors, in accordance with this chapter, that are not
deposited directly with the program manager; and

����
(5)
�
All interest
derived from the deposit and investment of moneys in the trust fund.

����
[
(b)
�
The fund shall be used if the director elects
to accept deposits from contributors, rather than have deposits sent directly
to the program manager.
�
The fund shall
consist of any moneys deposited by contributors in accordance with this chapter
which are not deposited directly with the program manager.
]

����
(b)
�
All moneys in the fund shall be expended by
the director to fulfill the purposes of this chapter, including to provide
incentive payments to Hawaii public school ABLE account owners as a means of
encouraging the participation of eligible individuals and families to save
funds; provided that the director shall maintain and keep separate records to
account for any incentive program payments.

����
(c)
�
[
All interest derived from the deposit and
investment of moneys in the savings program trust fund shall be credited to the
fund.
] At the end of any fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered
moneys in the savings program trust fund shall remain in the savings program
trust fund and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or any
other funds.

����
(d)
�
All expenses incurred by the director in
developing and administering the ABLE savings program shall be payable from the
Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund."

����
SECTION
3.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $50,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027
to be deposited into the Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund.

����
SECTION
4.
�
There is appropriated out of the
Hawaii ABLE savings program trust fund the sum of $50,000 or so much thereof as
may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to provide incentive payments to
Hawaii public school ABLE account owners.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of budget and finance for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 5.
�
There is appropriated out of the Hawaii ABLE
savings program trust fund the sum of $65,000 or so much thereof as may be
necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may
be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to fund one full-time equivalent (1.0
FTE) permanent position within the state council on developmental disabilities
to provide statewide outreach, advocacy, and relationship management for the
Hawaii ABLE savings program.

����
The sums

appropriated shall be expended by the
department of health for the purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION 6.
�
If any provision of this Act, or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the
invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the Act that can
be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end
the provisions of this Act are severable.

����
SECTION
7.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 8.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Hawaii
ABLE Savings Program; Director of Finance; State Council on Developmental
Disabilities; Department of Health; Appropriation

Description:

Repeals
the requirement to use the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program Trust Fund if the
Director elects to accept deposits from contributors instead of sending
deposits directly to the ABLE program manager.
�

Authorizes the Director of Finance to expend moneys in the trust fund to
provide incentive payments to Hawaii public school ABLE account owners.
�
Appropriates funds for incentive payments
to
Hawaii public school ABLE account owners
and to fund a position
to provide statewide outreach,
advocacy, and relationship management for the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.