STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1885

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 67

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 67, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR, STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL, PLANNING DEPARTMENTS OF EACH COUNTY, MAYORS OF EACH COUNTY, AND CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEES ON HOUSING TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR ADOPTING UPDATED BUILDING CODES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Governor, State Building Code Council, planning departments of each county, Mayors of each county, and Chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives Standing Committees on Housing to develop a comprehensive strategy for adopting updated building codes.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from The Maritime Group, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committees find that Governor Josh Green's 2023 Proclamation Relating to Affordable Housing, which had the unintended consequence of suspending the State Building Code Council and adopting unamended building codes created by the International Code Council, coupled with a subsequent proclamation allowing counties to not comply with the 2021 building code, inadvertently resulted in the construction industry currently lacking clear directives and rules for upholding building safety standards in the State. Your Committees further find that updated building codes ensure that homes and public structures are built to withstand current and future risks while also improving community resilience and enabling faster recovery from disasters. Accordingly, this measure will offer contractors clarity and update best practices for expedient, safe construction by requesting relevant entities within the state government to work together in creating a comprehensive approach to adopting updated building codes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 67, H.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair