STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1096

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 367

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 367, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BUILDING PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow for county permit exemptions for certain kinds of activities, including maintenance activities, installing group U structures, and interior remodeling work, when located outside a special management area.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from Department of Public Works of the County of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that existing law and regulations regarding building permits have become inconsistent across counties, creating confusion and adding unnecessary delays in the construction process. While there are certain exemptions for nonresidential agricultural and aquacultural structures, the scope of these exemptions still poses challenges for ranchers and farmers due to additional county requirements and differing interpretations of the law. Streamlining existing exemptions will allow farmers and the broader agricultural industry to increase operations and prioritize critical food production. Therefore, this measure establishes statewide carveouts to building permit requirements to continue support of the State's agricultural industry and reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that exempted interior remodeling shall not change the use of a group U structure;

(2) Inserting language requiring an owner or occupier to submit plans, in addition to providing written notice, to the appropriate county agency about the type of proposed work;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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. 367, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 367, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair