STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1525

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1409

H.D. 1

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1409, H.D. 1, 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 encourage development near public transportation hubs.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Amends the funding priorities of the rental housing revolving fund to incentivize development in areas that satisfy transit-supportive density requirements;

(2) Allocates a minimum percentage of the rental housing revolving fund for certain mixed-income rental housing projects;

(3) Requires the Transit-Oriented Development Infrastructure Improvement District Board to consider the infrastructure needs of transit-supportive density requirements; and

(4) Requires the strategic plan developed by the Hawaii Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development to delineate transit-oriented development areas for each county.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization, Hawaii YIMBY, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, AARP Hawaii, Holomua Collaborative, Housing Hawai`i's Future, Church of the Crossroads, Hawai`i Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that transit-oriented development districts are an efficient use of land because the districts promote higher-density development near public transportation infrastructure, which allows the value of public investments to be maximized. Your Committee further finds that encouraging development near public transit infrastructure increases public transit ridership, reduces dependency on private automobiles, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

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 H.B. No. 1409, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair