STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1104-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2151

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2151, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BUILDING MATERIALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Specify that no state or county building code shall prohibit or otherwise limit the use of hempcrete as a non-structural building material; and

(2) Authorize state and county building officials to approve hempcrete construction that meets applicable safety and performance standards.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Climate Protectors Hawaii; 350Hawaii.org; Kohala Coast Community Fund; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State's housing shortage, high construction costs, and dependence on imported materials create significant barriers to producing affordable, climate-resilient homes. Your Committee further finds that hempcrete is a safe, low-carbon, pest-resistant, and fire-resistant material that can reduce emissions, increase housing flexibility, and enable innovation in sustainable building practices. This measure will support alternative construction methods that advance long-term affordability, resilience, and environmental goals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2151, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2151, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair