STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3432

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 177

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 177 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL SERVICES TO CONVENE A COOPERATIVE WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS STATE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE COUNTY PERMITTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Accounting and General Services to convene a cooperative working group to address state projects that require county permitting.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committee finds that a majority of state building projects submitted to county permitting departments experience significant delays in the permit approval process, making project costs for these projects increase due to inflation and directly affecting the thousands of jobs they support. Your Committee notes that it takes approximately six times longer for the average public sector building permit to be approved than the average private sector permit. Therefore, this measure seeks to understand and resolve the obstacles confronting state projects at county permitting departments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 177 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair