STAND. COM. REP. NO. 706

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1669

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a state entity to coordinate transit oriented development.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes the Transit Oriented Community Partnership to ensure that communities are planned and built with the proper infrastructure, with desired amenities, and in a manner that fits the needs of the community; and

(2) Appropriates moneys for positions for the Transit Oriented Community Partnership.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Trees for Honolulu's Future; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; American Institute of Architects; Hawaii State Council; Stanford Carr Development, LLC; Hawai‘i Bicycling League; and four individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that establishing a state agency primarily focused on community infrastructure and amenities near rail transit lines will improve the quality of life for people living in and near transit oriented communities by increasing safe multi-modal connections, ensuring public spaces, promoting healthy physical activity, and reducing transportation-related emissions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that specifies the co-chairs of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission as members of the Board of Directors of the Transit Oriented Community Improvement Partnership because the Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, who is a co-chair of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, is separately named as a member of the Board of Directors of the Transit Oriented Community Improvement Partnership;

(2) Specifically adding the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, who is also a co-chair of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, as a member of the Board;

(3) Clarifying that all voting members of the Board of Directors of the Transit Oriented Community Improvement Partnership appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President of the Senate shall be appointed for terms of four years; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred consider amending the measure by:

(1) Defining the authority of the Transit Oriented Community Improvement Partnership in a manner that does not overlap with the authority of existing state and county agencies and programs, as expressed by the Department of Budget and Finance; and

(2) Requiring that the member of the Board of Directors of the Transit Oriented Community Improvement Partnership with a history and expertise in urban planning be an architect, licensed to practice in the State, with expertise in building design or architecture, as expressed by the American Institute of Architects Hawaii.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1669, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair