STAND. COM. REP. NO. 123

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 73

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Economic Development & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 73 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit:

(1) The Department of Land and Natural Resources and Board of Land and Natural Resources from disposing of or approving the use or setting aside of public lands for the establishment of any immigration detention facility; and

(2) State and county agencies from contracting with the federal government or processing any permit for this purpose.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender; one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council; one member of the Honolulu City Council; IATSE Local 665; UNITE HERE Local 5; Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights; The Legal Clinic; Indivisible Hawaii; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; HCANSpeaks!; COFACAN; Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights; Oahu Filipino Community Council; Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Roots Reborn; Hawaii Democratic Party; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Imua Alliance; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; A.L.O.H.A. Latinos; Hawaiʻi Workers Center; Fujiwara & Rosenbaum, LLLC; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaiian Islands Republican Women and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that using state lands for immigration detention facilities contradicts Hawaii's values of welcoming all people regardless of immigration status and diverts critical resources away from affordable housing, sustainable development, and infrastructure improvements. This measure prohibits use or setting aside of public lands, contracting with the federal government, or processing of a permit for the purpose of establishing immigration detention facilities.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 73 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Technology,

____________________________

GREGGOR ILAGAN, Chair