STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1416

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 104

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.R. No. 104 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE TASK FORCE FOR SPEED (SIMPLIFYING PERMITTING FOR ENHANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT) TO IDENTIFY ACTIONS NEEDED TO EXPEDITE, FACILITATE, AND COORDINATE STATE AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERMIT PROCESSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Request the establishment of the Task Force for Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) to identify actions needed to expedite, facilitate, and coordinate state and intergovernmental permit processes; and

(2) Request the Task Force for SPEED to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2026.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Public Utilities Commission, Land Use Commission, and Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that the permitting process is often time-consuming due to the understaffing of resource-constrained agencies, complexity and multiplicity of requirements, sequential and contingent nature of reviews, and potential for legal challenges, among other factors. According to the testimony received by your Committee, the entitlement and permitting process can take over five years, creating significant delays and uncertainty for housing projects, increasing carrying costs and capital market risks, and deterring investment in affordable housing. Your Committee notes that a more accessible permitting process would particularly benefit small businesses and entrepreneurs as they navigate regulatory requirements. By identifying inefficiencies and developing strategies for simplification, the task force established in this measure can help enhance government efficiency, support economic growth, and improve transparency in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 104, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 104, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair