STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2239

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2524

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Housing and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2524 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Housing and Land Management and Department of Design and Construction of the City and County of Honolulu as grants‑in-aid to comply with the requirements of Act 206, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, and Act 210, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Housing and Land Management of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committees find that Act 206, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017, and Act 210, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, required the City and County of Honolulu to transfer ownership of ninety-seven school sites to the State. Act 206 and Act 210 required the City and County of Honolulu to prepare, execute, and record a quitclaim deed to convey each property, but no sufficient funding was provided to carry out these mandates. This measure appropriates funds as a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu to fulfill the requirements of Act 206 and Act 210.

Your Committees note that this measure contains blank appropriation amounts. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committees respectfully request that it consider inserting the following amounts:

(1) $280,000 as a grant-in-aid for the Department of Housing and Land Management of the City and County of Honolulu to hire two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) employees; and

(2) $3,250,000 as a grant-in-aid to the Department of Design and Construction of the City and County of Honolulu for surveying, title searches, easement requisition services, and other related costs.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2524, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2524, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair