STAND. COM. REP. NO. 717-26

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 Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the development of transit-supportive densities to be allowed in any county-designated transit-oriented development area; and

(2) 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.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Hawaiʻi YIMBY; Housing Hawaiʻi's Future; CARES; and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from UNITE HERE Local 5. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that it is vital that state-designated transit-oriented-development (TOD) zones actually deliver the walkable, mixed-use, and mixed-income neighborhoods envisioned in state and county plans, rather than being undermined by project-by-project discretionary upzoning requests or other discretionary barriers. By prohibiting counties from adopting ordinances, development standards, or other land use controls that conflict with or effectively negate TOD zoning in these areas, this measure aligns local regulation with the substantial public investment already made in rail and bus raid transit infrastructure.

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 H.B. No. 1739, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair