STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1550

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 30

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 30 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL TO EXTEND THE TIMEFRAME BETWEEN MODEL CODE UPDATES AND ADOPTION PROCESSES AND TAKE A MORE BALANCED AND DELIBERATIVE APPROACH TO CODE REVISIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the International Code Council to extend the timeframe between model code updates and adoption processes and take a more balanced and deliberative approach to code revisions.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1260 and International Code Council.

Your Committee finds that building codes are a critically important aspect of public safety that should be formulated and adopted on a timeline that serves the best interest of the State and its people. Your Committee notes the concerns raised in the testimony received at the public hearing held on this measure regarding the potential impact of altering the existing process and timeline for building code adoption.

Your Committee notes that S.C.R. No. 24 (2025) is a substantially similar measure that also addresses strategies for adopting updated building codes. Your Committee concludes that the language in S.C.R. No. 24 is preferable because it does not request the International Code Council to extend the timeframe between model code updates and adoption processes.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the contents of S.C.R. No. 24, a substantially similar measure, which:

(1) Requests the Office of the Governor, State Building Code Council, building 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; and

(2) Requests that the comprehensive strategy be formulated through stakeholder engagement and addresses the feasibility of compliance with updated codes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 30, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 30, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

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BRANDON J.C. ELEFANTE, Chair