STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 225

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 225 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SQUATTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to study the issue of squatting in Hawaii and submit a report of its findings to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Office of the Public Defender.

Your Committee finds that squatting presents a challenging and legally complex issue in the State. Even when members of the public report public nuisances on private property, law enforcement officers cannot remove squatters unless the property owner makes a trespass complaint, which allows squatters to continuously trespass on vacant or abandoned properties. Additionally, a property owner may claim that occupants are trespassing as squatters while the occupants claim they are former or present tenants. Therefore, this measure establishes a working group to study this issue and identify a more efficient process for addressing squatting in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the composition of the working group, including adding, replacing, and removing certain members;

(2) Clarifying that the chair of the working group shall invite certain public members of the working group to participate;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, 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 Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 225, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 225, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair