The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Economic Development and Technology on Feb. 7, 2025.
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Feb. 7, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 423 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Economic Development and Technology
Rep. Greggor Ilagan, Chair
Rep. Ikaika Hussey, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: HB1405 — RELATING TO PERMITS
Aloha Chair Ilagan, Vice-Chair Hussey and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1405, which would impose deadlines for the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to act on permits submitted through the state’s facilitated application process.
It would also require the department to create a digital portal for processing these permits and a fast-track process for low-impact projects, which the department would be tasked with defining.
As the bill notes, the facilitated application process can be “cumbersome and subject applicants to lengthy waiting periods.” and “a backlog in applications can lead to delays in housing, industrial, and commercial projects, stifling economic development in the state.”
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
