The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Economic Development & Technology on Feb. 11, 2026.
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Feb. 11, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 423 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Economic Development & Technology
Rep. Greggor Ilagan, Chair
Rep. Ikaika Hussey, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB2603 — RELATING TO PERMITS
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB2603, which would establish specific 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, a process for improving agency coordination and timeliness of environmental reviews and infrastructure projects 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
