STAND. COM. REP. NO. 211

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 73

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 Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 73 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COUNTY PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require county permitting agencies to establish and fill positions exclusively to process permit applications submitted for state projects; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

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

Your Committee finds that delays in the county building permit process have severely impacted the ability of the State to commence construction projects. Your Committee recognizes that significant delays occur due to resource limitations, volume of permits, and the complexity of the projects under review. The dedicated permit processing positions to be established and funded by this measure would reduce the burden on county planning departments while facilitating the implementation of essential state projects, including capital improvement projects.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of May 13, 2040, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 73, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 73, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair