STAND. COM. REP. NO. 93

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 225

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 225 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Specify the cost of regional infrastructure improvements made by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation by allowing an assessment against transit-oriented development projects specifically benefiting from the improvements; and

(2) Require the Hawaii Interagency Council for Transit-Oriented Development to review and make recommendations on applications for subaccount funds for infrastructure projects related to transit-oriented development.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that the cost of off-site infrastructure is a major barrier to the achievement of transit-oriented development potential statewide. This measure will help facilitate state investment in needed infrastructure by allowing the Hawaii Housing Development and Financing Corporation to recover costs to help offset the significant upfront costs of regional infrastructure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 225 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair