STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1088-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2515

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2515, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKFORCE HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Workforce Housing Regulatory Sandbox Program, to be administered by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (Corporation) in coordination with participating counties, and authorize the program to waive or temporarily modify permitting processes and other regulatory requirements for eligible workforce housing projects;

(2) Establish the Workforce Housing Regulatory Sandbox Advisory Council to provide nonbinding guidance and recommendations to the Corporation;

(3) Require the Corporation to report to the Legislature; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Hawaii Public Housing Authority; Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Housing Hawaiʻi's Future; Family Promise of Hawaiʻi; and two individuals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2515, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2515, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair