STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1833

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 344

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the State's electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Requires the design of all new state buildings where parking is to be included to make at least twenty-five percent of the parking stalls electric vehicle charger‑ready;

(2) Requires the Hawaii State Energy Office, in consultation with the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Transportation, to conduct a survey and identify certain high-priority state buildings that have parking facilities to be retrofitted to include electric vehicle chargers;

(3) Establishes as a goal of the State the retrofitting of state facilities to be electric vehicle charger-ready; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Hawaii State Energy Office to assess the costs of, and to install at high-priority state facilities, retrofits and electric vehicle charger systems.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of Accounting and General Services, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Hawaii State Energy Office, Carbon Cashback Hawaii, Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, 350 Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric, Ulupono Initiative, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that many residents who rent their homes, especially residents of multi-dwelling buildings, lack
at-home access to electric vehicle chargers. Developing the infrastructure to allow workers and visitors to charge at state facilities will support the State's clean energy goals by removing a significant barrier to electric vehicle use.

Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that, in the design of all new state building construction, beginning July 1, 2026, the Department of Accounting and General Services shall determine the number of parking stalls that are required to be electric vehicle charger-ready.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 344, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair