STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1522

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 735

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 735, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTEWATER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow, with certain exceptions, an individual wastewater system to serve up to five bedrooms, regardless of the number of dwellings, dwelling units, or accessory units, and whether the dwellings, dwelling units, or accessory units are attached or detached.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Planning Department of the County of Kauai, Hanalei Initiative, Hawaii Association of REALTORS, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Waipa Foundation, and three individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that allowing a single wastewater system to serve up to five bedrooms, regardless of the number or types of dwellings attached to the system, will help increase the availability of affordable housing in the State by giving developers more flexibility to build accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, and other small-scale housing units.

Your Committee requests, if a Committee on Conference is convened on this measure, that the Committee on Conference consider the amendments proposed by the Department of Health that would exempt from the provisions of this measure new requests to connect additional bedrooms, dwellings, or accessory units to an existing cesspool.

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. 735, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair