The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Feb. 6, 2025.
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Feb. 6, 2025, 2 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 329 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce
Rep. Scot Matayoshi, Chair
Rep. Cory Chun, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: HB331 HD1 — RELATING TO PERMITS
Aloha Chair Matayoshi, Vice-Chair Chun and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB331 HD1, which would exempt “repetitive construction projects” on facilities under the control of state departments and agencies from requiring county building permits, with some exceptions for flood zone rules, electrical and plumbing permits.
By exempting state projects from the need to get a permit for basic maintenance, county building reviewers would have more time to focus on private construction, including much-needed housing, which would improve the building permit process for everyone.
The bill might also speed up the delivery of state projects, which could make capital improvement budgets go further. According to the Hawaii Department of Budget and Finance’s Variance Report, the School Facilities Authority aimed to complete 23 projects in fiscal year 2024 but completed only 11.[1]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] “Variance Report: Formal Education, Fiscal Year 2024 and 2025,” Hawaii Department of Budget and Finance, Dec. 3, 2024, Program title: School Facilities Authority, p. 494.
