STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1239-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2673

S.D. 1

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 Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2673, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COUNTIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require each county to host and maintain on its website a publicly accessible dataset of all building and civil engineering permit applications administered by the county.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and Maui Chamber of Commerce. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui.

Your Committee finds that establishing uniform data sets is a vital step toward enabling accurate comparisons between jurisdictions and fostering evidence-based decision-making. By creating a transparent and consistent data environment, the State can more effectively identify and address systemic bottlenecks in the permitting process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2673, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2673, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair