STAND. COM. REP. NO. 863

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 551

S.D. 3

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 551, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that certain housing projects developed by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation on lands that are not within a Special Flood Hazard Area, as identified on the current Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Insurance Rate Maps, shall be exempt from all statutes, ordinances, charter provisions, and rules relating to planning, zoning, and other certain standards, provided that certain conditions are met.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that housing is a critical need in the State and that exempting certain housing projects from certain regulations can streamline the delivery of affordable housing to those most in need of housing. Your Committee notes the concerns raised by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs regarding the need to protect and conserve lands and natural resources and finds that this merits further consideration and respectfully request that these issues and concerns be examined as this measure moves forward in the legislative process.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of March 22, 2075, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 551, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 551, S.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair