STAND. COM. REP. NO. 241-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1747

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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1747 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the State Building Code Council to:

(1) Consult with building industry trade associations to gather cost data on the implementation of a building code or standard and calculate the financial impact of the building code or standard, including amortized utility costs, on the cost of single-family and multi-family homes built in the State; and

(2) Include the cost provided by building industry trade associations on each code and standard adopted by the Council in the annual report submitted to the Governor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Building Industry Association of Hawaii, NAIOP Hawaii, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Kauahaikaua and Chun Architects. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, AIA Hawaii, and Plumbers and Pipefitters UA Local 675.

Your Committee finds that the State Building Code Council includes various representatives who have significant experience with building code and are mostly serving on a volunteer basis. As a state entity, the State Building Code Council adheres to sunshine laws and welcomes representatives from the industry and unions to raise concerns regarding codes and construction costs; however, the primary purpose of building codes and standards are to safeguard life, property, and general welfare collectively. Your Committee heard the concerns raised in testimony that the broad nature of the measure may have unintended consequences and could potentially undermine other building codes and standards whose primary function and purpose is safeguarding life, property, and general welfare.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Excluding codes and standards that have a primary purpose of safeguarding life, property, and general welfare collectively from the cost data requirements proposed by this measure;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1747, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1747, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair