STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2382

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2908

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 Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2908 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITTING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform implementing certain recommendations of the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development Task Force; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the development of the platform, subject to a matching funds requirement from the counties.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Holomua Collaborative, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committees find that incomplete or incorrect permitting applications frequently cause significant delays in an already time consuming process. A centralized intake platform that initially vets permitting applications for completeness before material review would reduce unnecessary communications, allow state agencies to focus on substantive review, and create greater predictability for applicants and reviewing bodies. This measure modernizes and streamlines the permitting process statewide to significantly improve coordination and efficiency.

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

Your Committees note the concerns expressed by the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development that placing a state agency like the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism in a management role over permitting functions that are primarily regulated by counties may create significant administrative and jurisdictional friction. Your Committees find that this issue raises concerns that merit further consideration and respectfully request that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred examine this issue.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Tourism 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. 2908, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2908, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair