STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1399

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1669

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Transit-Oriented Community Improvement Partnership and Community Improvement Revolving Fund for purposes of developing and implementing transit-oriented community development; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the establishment and operation of the Transit-Oriented Community Improvement Partnership and establishment of various positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Hawai‘i State Energy Office; Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Trees for Honolulu's Future; Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization; Hawai‘i Bicycling League; Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Stanford Carr Development; American Institute of Architects Hawaii; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Budget and Finance; and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that while significant effort has been made to plan for and prioritize affordable housing in transit-oriented development areas, this same effort has not been put into ensuring these communities have the necessary infrastructure, amenities, and public spaces necessary to create successful, livable communities. As a result, these structures are often put in as an afterthought once people move in and discover gaps in their quality of life. Your Committee believes that establishing a single agency whose primary mission is to prioritize, plan, and build community infrastructure and amenities will ensure the State's transit-orient developments become livable and desirable communities for Hawaii's residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that applications for grants should be made to the Transit-Oriented Community Improvement Partnership rather than the Department of Transportation;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair