HB 1629 Summary

• Requires contested cases, environmental assessment cases, and environmental impact statement cases involving large-scale energy projects over 20 megawatts to be appealed directly to the Hawaii Supreme Court instead of circuit or environmental court.

• Mandates that the Supreme Court prioritize these energy project cases over all other civil or administrative appeals and decide them as expeditiously as possible.

• Amends Section 91-14 of Hawaii Revised Statutes to allow direct appeals to Supreme Court for large-scale energy projects and clarifies that agencies can be "persons aggrieved" in contested case proceedings.

• Amends Section 343-7 to route environmental assessment and environmental impact statement cases for projects over 20 megawatts directly to the Supreme Court for final decision.

• Takes effect July 1, 3000 (effective date appears to contain a typographical error).