Working Families Caucus supports labor and workers’ rights in 2025 Legislative Package

Members of the Legislature’s Hawaiʻi Working Families Caucus on Monday were joined by community advocates to present their 2025 Legislative Package, which aims to protect workers’ rights and address priority issues for Hawaiʻi’s families.  

In the 33rd Legislature, the Working Families Caucus has introduced bills addressing the child tax credit, supplemental nutrition assistance program, rent increase restrictions, family and medical leave and early education. 

“We are a bipartisan caucus dedicated to supporting the needs of Hawaiʻi’s working families,” said 2025 Working Families Caucus Co-Convenor and Rep. Jeanne Kapela (D-5, Portions of Keaʻau and Kurtistown, Mountain View, Glenwood, Fern Forest, Volcano, Pāhala, Punaluʻu, Nāʻālehu, Wai‘ōhinu, Hawaiian Ocean View, Hoʻokena). “Through our proposed measures, we are working to provide protection, security, and a stronger future for families across the state.” 

The 2025 Working Families Caucus Bill Package consists of the following measures: 

• HB692 – Relating to the Preschool Open Doors Program: Expands the preschool open door program’s eligibility criteria. Repeals the requirement that open door program providers be accredited. Community advocates rallied their support for the bills outlined in today’s press conference.  
• HB693 – Relating to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code: Restricts how much and how often a landlord may increase rent over the course of a twelve-month period. 
• HB694 – Relating to a Child Tax Credit: Establishes a refundable child tax credit. Applies to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2025. 
• HB695 – Relating to Paid Family Leave: By Jan. 1, 2027, requires the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By Jan. 1, 2028, requires the Department to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program. Specifies eligibility requirements and employee protections under the program. 
• HB696 – Relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requires the Department of Human Services to adjust the minimum certification periods for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits households, participate in the Elderly Simplified Application Project, and report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to improve Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rates, including establishing additional positions. 

Organizations demonstrating their support for the bill package included Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network Speaks!, and Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute. 

The Working Families Caucus’s mission is to protect workers’ rights and ʻohana across the state by developing and implementing a pro-labor agenda in the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. The Caucus also aims to provide information and educate Members of the Legislature on issues that impact labor and working families. The Caucus works closely with unions, allies, and organizations dedicated to strengthening economic security for Hawaiʻi’s working families. 

The Working Families Caucus is co-convened by Rep. Jeanne Kapela (D-5, Portions of Keaʻau and Kurtistown, Mountain View, Glenwood, Fern Forest, Volcano, Pāhala, Punalu‘u, Nāʻālehu, Wai‘ōhinu, Hawaiian Ocean View, Ho‘okena) and Rep. Tina Nakada Grandinetti (D-20, Lēʻahi, Kāhala, Waiʻalae, Kaimukī, Kapahulu).