STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2924

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2018

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2018 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit a county from changing the land use designation or zoning of a parcel or parcels of property to a less intensive use or reducing the intensity of land use within an existing zoning district below what was allowed under the general plan or specific land use designation and zoning ordinances in effect on January 1, 2024; and

(2) Allow a county to change a land use designation or zoning ordinance to a less intensive use if the county concurrently enacts measures to ensure that there is no net loss in residential capacity.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that when a county downzones, or changes the land use designation or zoning of a property to a less intensive use, it reduces the potential housing supply in the State. This measure prevents counties from exacerbating the housing crisis and protects the State's potential housing supply, while preserving the county's authority to downzone land in accordance with the needs of its community.

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. 2018 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair