STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1668

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 91

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 91 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EXISTING PROCEDURES FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE STATE BUILDING CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the Governor convene a task force to examine and make recommendations on the existing procedures for the adoption of the state building code.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Subcontractors Association of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Gas, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that according to a 2019 study by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the State will require an additional 50,156 homes by 2025. Despite this, there has been a lack of measurable progress at the county level to enact policies that will stimulate housing production to meet the projected demand, in large part due to existing laws and county procedures regarding the adoption and implementation of building codes that impede the building permit process. Your Committee believes that the process to obtain a building permit in the State is often redundant, costly, and time consuming for builders and residents. This measure will encourage the State Building Code Council to make necessary updates to the state building code to reduce delays and increase the number of available homes in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 91, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 91, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair