CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 189

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 431

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 431, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for:

(1) The continued implementation of the Kauhale Initiative and Ohana Zones Pilot Program; and

(2) The development of supportive housing projects and the provision of supportive services for certain households in the supportive housing projects.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing requirements for kauhale projects, including reporting requirements by the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions;

(2) Requiring the Auditor to conduct a management and performance audit of the Kauhale Initiative and report to the Legislature;

(3) Inserting appropriation amounts of $18,575,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $24,325,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the continued operation of the Kauhale Initiative;

(4) Establishing the Ohana Zones Program as a permanent program within the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions;

(5) Inserting appropriation amounts of $2,525,000 for fiscal year 2025-2026 and $5,855,000 for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the continued implementation of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program;

(6) Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for supportive housing projects and supportive services for certain households in those projects;

(7) Requiring the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to submit a report every four months to the Legislature detailing the expenditure of funds appropriated toward the Kauhale and Ohana Zones initiatives and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and submit a report on the assessment to the Legislature;

(8) Changing references to the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to "Coordinator on Homelessness";

(9) Specifying that the Coordinator on Homelessness shall report directly to the Director of Human Services;

(10) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2025; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 431, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 431, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Chair	____________________________ LISA MARTEN Co-Chair
____________________________ STANLEY CHANG Co-Chair	____________________________ LUKE A. EVSLIN Co-Chair
____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Co-Chair	____________________________ JENNA TAKENOUCHI Co-Chair