STAND. COM. REP. NO. 254-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2603

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 Economic Development & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 2603 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish specific deadlines within the facilitated application process and require the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish certain resources and processes to help streamline permit applications.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Food+ Policy; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that certain land or water use activities or construction projects may require permits issued through the facilitated application process. Your Committee further finds that the process is cumbersome and can subject applicants to lengthy waiting periods, which can lead to backlogs that delay housing, industrial, and commercial projects in the State. This measure seeks to expedite the facilitated application process by establishing specific deadlines and creating resources and procedures to improve efficiency.

Your Committee notes that the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, P.L. 114-94 (FAST-41), legislatively established a process to improve federal agency coordination and the timeliness of federal environmental review and authorization of covered infrastructure projects. Your Committee further notes that the FAST-41 process is intended to address significant challenges to infrastructure projects by providing transparency, predictability, and accountability in the federal permitting process. Your Committee believes that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism may improve efficiency in state infrastructure permitting by providing more hands-on permitting support for infrastructure projects and by establishing clearer timelines and better coordination across state agencies.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing the Department of Transportation to select projects eligible for the facilitated application process in a manner similar to the federal FAST-41 program to accelerate large-scale infrastructure projects needed for economic development;

(2) Deleting the appropriation;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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 Economic Development & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2603, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2603, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Technology,

____________________________

GREGGOR ILAGAN, Chair