STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1689

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.C.R. No. 65

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 65 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LAND USE COMMISSION TO COORDINATE WITH COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSIONS AND COUNTY COUNCILS TO CONDUCT CONCURRENT REVIEWS OF GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS, DISTRICT BOUNDARY AMENDMENTS, AND ZONING AMENDMENTS WHEN RECLASSIFYING LAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Land Use Commission to coordinate with county planning commissions and county councils to conduct concurrent reviews of general plan amendments, district boundary amendments, and zoning amendments when reclassifying land.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and Land Use Commission.

Your Committee finds that while the Land Use Commission is responsible for classifying all lands in the State, the counties are responsible for overseeing planning and zoning under their respective general plans and zoning ordinances. Your Committee further finds that because of this division of responsibilities, any significant changes in land use require a three-step process that involves the counties making a general plan amendment, the Land Use Commission making a state district boundary amendment, and the counties making a county zoning amendment, with each amendment processed separately and sequentially. Your Committee believes that encouraging the Land Use Commission and counties to coordinate and hold concurrent reviews for these amendments will significantly expedite the land use reclassification and rezoning process while still maintaining the integrity and thoroughness of each review.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 65 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair