STAND. COM. REP. NO. 904

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1263

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1263, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Create a process for expediting the review of residential transit-oriented development on certain parcels within county-designated transit-oriented development zones that have a low risk of affecting historically significant resources;

(2) Further empower lead agencies, including county governments, to make determinations on the potential effects of a project, under certain conditions;

(3) Create a ninety-day calendar limit for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to concur or not concur with project effect determinations, under certain conditions; and

(4) Ensure that projects with written concurrence are exempt from further review unless there is a change to the project.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Holomua Collaborative, Hawaiʻi YIMBY, and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority.

Your Committee finds that there is a pressing need to expedite housing development, particularly in transit-oriented areas, to address the housing shortage and create more housing opportunities in close proximity to transportation. Your Committee further finds that while speedier housing development is needed, it is essential that it is not achieved at the expense of the State's cultural resources, including historic properties and burial sites, that are integral elements of the State's heritage. Accordingly, this measure addresses the State's housing shortage by streamlining the historic preservation review process to expedite housing development.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 23, 2057, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1263, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1263, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair