STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1307

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 754

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred S.B. No. 754, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to direct the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to:

     (1)  Review federal, state, and county laws relating to affordable housing to identify strategies to strengthen Hawaii's housing laws;

     (2)  Seek input from stakeholders; and

     (3)  Submit a report of its findings to the 2010 Legislature.

     The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii supported this bill.  The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation supported the intent of this measure.  LRB and a concerned individual offered comments.

     Your Committee finds that the Affordable Housing Regulatory Barriers Task Force (Task Force), which completed its report in December 2008, has worked for the past 18 months to identify statutory and regulatory barriers to affordable housing development.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Directing LRB to review the Task Force's report;

     (2)  Narrowing the focus of LRB's study to state laws;

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 754, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 754, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

____________________________

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA, Chair