STAND. COM. REP. NO. 141-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1923

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. 1923 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING UTILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require county boards of water supply to publicly disclose on their respective website service connection availability for residential permitting and construction.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaiʻi Association of REALTORS; Hawaiʻi YIMBY; and Housing Hawaiʻi's Future. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that uncertainty around water service availability has increasingly delayed residential permitting and created confusion for property owners, builders, and permitting agencies. Your Committee further finds that applicants frequently receive inconsistent or outdated information regarding water system limitations, leading to avoidable appeals, stalled construction timelines, and added development costs.

Your Committee notes the various concerns raised in testimony by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaiʻi. Your Committee has worked with the pertinent stakeholders to ensure their concerns are addressed in this measure.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the term "geographic information systems reference maps" with just "maps";

(2) Clarifying that the maps must reflect water availability for developments proposed for at least one to four housing units per parcel;

(3) Clarifying that the maps must include general descriptions of certain information, rather than specific information, with certain exceptions;

(4) Extending the date when the boards of water supply are required to publish the maps on their websites;

(5) Deleting language that would have authorized:

(A) A parcel owner to appeal if the owner disagrees with any map or analysis published by the applicable board of water supply; and

(B) Residential building permit applicants and permitting agencies to rely on the most recent applicable map;

(6) Authorizing the boards of water supply to add a disclaimer regarding map data;

(7) Requiring the boards of water supply to create a process to request a conditional clearance where maps identify water availability;

(8) Authorizing the boards of water supply to adopt rules;

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

(10) 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. 1923, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1923, 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