STAND. COM. REP. NO. 111-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1739

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1739 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the counties from enacting an ordinance, rule, regulation, development standard, zoning provision, or other land use control that restricts the development of transit‑supportive densities in county‑designated transit‑oriented development zones and transit‑oriented development infrastructure improvement program areas.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaiʻi YIMBY; Housing Hawaiʻi's Future; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu; and CARES.

Your Committee finds that allowing appropriate housing density near transit supports ridership, makes public investments more efficient, and gives residents more choices in how they live and move, while also reducing transportation costs. Your Committee further finds that low land‑use density around transit-oriented development makes housing more expensive. Restrictive county‑level land‑use controls have also reduced feasible density, which results in delayed approvals and led to fewer homes. This measure helps unlock much‑needed housing opportunities and advances walkable, transit‑connected neighborhoods across the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing references to "county-designated transit-oriented development zone" to "county-designated transit-oriented development area" and defining that term and "transit-supportive density";

(2) Clarifying that the county preemption standards apply based on inconsistency with this measure, rather than transit-oriented development infrastructure improvement program rules;

(3) Deleting language that would have required the development of transit-supportive densities to be allowed in any transit-oriented development infrastructure improvement area under the Hawaii Community Development Authority;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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 Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1739, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair