STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2376

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3048

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 Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3048 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent position for the State Building Code Council to support statewide building code coordination, permitting transparency, and modernization initiatives;

(2) Require county reporting on building permitting performance;

(3) Require the State Building Code Council to develop a standardized statewide permitting data system or public dashboard;

(4) Require the development of a state building code modernization and transparency initiative;

(5) Require the State Building Code Council to develop standardized credentials and training requirements for permitting officials;

(6) Require a report to the Legislature; and

(7) Appropriate funds.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce, American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, American Institute of Architects Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committees find that existing permitting processes continue to be a major impediment to business modernization and infrastructural development. Bottlenecks and other friction points in permitting throughout the state undermine state objectives on important issues, such as public safety, housing production, infrastructure resilience, and economic competitiveness. The measure will establish permitting reforms that promote transparency, modernization, and consistency across permitting processes, generate significant economic returns, and support other vital state objectives.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to develop a plan for the creation of a statewide permitting data system or dashboard;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs 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. 3048, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3048, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair