STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1149

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 611

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 611, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIRE SPRINKLERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the June 30, 2017, sunset date of Act 83, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 2012, thereby making permanent the prohibition on county requirements for automatic fire sprinklers or an automatic fire sprinkler system in

detached one- or two-family dwelling units that do not require access road or water supply variances and non-residential agricultural and aquacultural buildings and structures located outside an urban area.  

The City and County of Honolulu Office of the Mayor, Hawaii Association of Realtors, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Complete Construction Services Corp., Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, RMA Sales, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Habitat for Humanity, Faith Action for Community Equity Hawaii, and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii State Fire Council, Fire Chief of the Honolulu Fire Department, and Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463, IAFF, AFL-CIO opposed this measure.  The County of Hawaii Office of the Mayor provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Extending the June 30, 2017, sunset date of Act 83, SLH 2012, to June 30, 2022; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 611, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 611, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

TOM BROWER, Chair