STAND. COM. REP. NO.  191-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2358

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 2358 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BUILDING CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote uniformity in statewide building standards by establishing the Hawaii State Building Code Council and the Natural Disaster Preparedness Commission, adopting the Hawaii State Building Code, and repealing conflicting county building code provisions.

The Department of Accounting and General Services, State Fire Council, Honolulu Fire Department, Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, Kauai Fire Department, Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii, International Code Council, and Hawaii Steel Alliance submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including on the Hawaii State Building Code Council:

          (a)  A representative from the Hawaii Construction Alliance, or its successor organization, instead of the Pacific Resource Partnership, or its successor organization;

          (b)  A representative from the General Contractors Association of Hawaii, or its successor organization, instead of a representative of the Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii, or its successor organization;

          (c)  A representative from the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, or its successor organization; and

          (d)  Three individuals who represent the interests of homeowners instead of four individuals;

     (2)  Requiring that any amendments adopted by the Hawaii State Building Code Council not exceed minimum standards to protect public health and safety;

     (3)  Granting the Hawaii State Building Code Council sole authority to determine the minimum standards necessary to protect public health and safety;

     (4)  Requiring that, in place of the building code of the City and County of Honolulu, 1929: Ordinance, Issue 490, as amended, the Hawaii State Building Code consist of the 2012 International Building Code, as amended by the Hawaii State Building Code Council to remove any provision that exceeds minimum standards necessary to protect public health and safety; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2358, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2358, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair