STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1299-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2922

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2922, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RURAL DISTRICTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the counties to adopt ordinances that allow up to one house per quarter-acre in rural districts; and

(2) Require the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to conduct a study to refine rural district policies, make recommendations to facilitate the reclassification of lands from the agricultural district to the rural district, and submit reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS®. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Kūpuna for the Mo‘opuna and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that this measure will help to alleviate the dire shortage of affordable housing in the State by permitting the counties to increase density in state-designated rural districts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date of sections 4 to 7, relating to the rural district study and reports, to July 1, 2022;

(2) Changing the effective date of sections 2 and 3, relating to the quarter-acre residential density provisions, to July 1, 2023; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2922, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2922, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair