STAND. COM. REP. NO. 557-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1478

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1478 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require sellers of buildings or structures occupied in whole or in part for residential purposes to equip the buildings or structures, upon the sale or transfer of the building or structure, with approved smoke alarms in accordance with existing state or county building or residential codes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Fire Council, Maui Fire Department, Honolulu Fire Department, and Building Industry Association of Hawaii. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS.

Your Committee finds that smoke alarms, when properly installed and maintained, play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. According to the State Fire Council, the currently adopted building code requires new or renovated homes to have smoke alarms in and outside of every bedroom and on every level. Your Committee finds that this measure supports essential early detection of a fire in residential buildings or structures.

Upon consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring property owners of residential real property to disclose, as part of the mandatory seller disclosures in real estate transactions, whether an installed smoke alarm is in accordance with existing building or residential codes, rather than requiring sellers to equip a building or structure with an approved smoke alarm upon a sale or transfer;

(2) Requiring the State Fire Council to create and maintain an informational guide on approved smoke alarms that are in accordance with existing building or residential codes and post the guide on the State Fire Council's and county fire departments' websites;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 1478, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1478, 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,

____________________________

NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair