Hawaii HB 1: RELATING TO BUILDING CODES.

Bill Text

HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
THIRTY-THIRD
LEGISLATURE,
2025
STATE
OF
HAWAII
A
BILL
FOR
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
BUILDING
CODES.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
HAWAII:
1
SECTION
1.
The
legislature
finds
that
Hawaii
is
in
a
major
2
housing
crisis
that
continues
to
worsen.
State
residents
face
3
the
highest
housing
costs
in
the
nation.
Median
housing
costs
4
are
2.7
times
as
high
as
the
national
level.
Over
the
past
5
year,
the
median
price
of
a
single-family
home
sold
in
Hawaii
6
was
$825,000,
and
the
median
condominium
price
was
$600,000.
7
Median
single-family
home
and
condominium
prices
have
more
than
8
tripled
since
the
1990s.
These
costs
have
further
increased
due
9
to
the
impact
of
the
coronavirus
disease
2019
(COVID-19)
10
pandemic
on
building
materials
and
supply
chains.
Hawaii’s
11
geographic
location
also
adds
to
the
cost
of
housing
due
to
12
shipping
costs
and
high
labor
costs.
13
The
legislature
also
finds
that
over
the
past
two
years,
14
the
share
of
households
in
the
State
that
can
afford
mortgage
15
payments
on
a
median
single-family
home
has
fallen
from
16
forty-four
per
cent
to
thirty
per
cent,
which
means
that
fewer
17
than
one
in
three
households
can
afford
a
typical
single-family
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home.
Fewer
than
half
of
households
can
afford
a
median
2
condominium.
3
The
legislature
further
finds
that
high
housing
costs
lower
4
the
standard
of
living
for
residents
and
biinder
the
State’s
5
ability
to
attract
workers.
Some
households
are
forced
to
live
6
in
crowded
conditions,
while
others
leave
the
State
to
find
7
housing
elsewhere
or
are
forced
to
survive
without
housing
at
8
all.
9
The
legislature
further
finds
that
Act
82,
Session
Laws
of
10
Hawaii
2007
(Act
82)
,
established
the
state
building
code
11
council.
In
enacting
Act
82,
the
legislature
found
that
12
adopting
a
uniform
set
of
statewide
building
codes
applicable
to
13
one
and
two
family
dwellings,
all
other
residential
uses,
and
14
commercial
and
industrial
buildings,
and
state
buildings
would
15
make
it
possible
for
building
owners,
designers,
contractors,
16
and
code
inspectors
within
the
State
to
apply
consistent
17
standards.
The
legislature
also
noted
that
at
the
time,
the
18
International
Building
Code
was
being
considered
for
adoption
by
19
all
counties.
The
legislature
also
found
that
health
and
safety
20
considerations
related
to
the
codes
are
of
statewide
concern,
21
especially
relating
to
emergency
disaster
preparedness.
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The
legislature
notes
that
pursuant
to
section
107-22,
2
Hawaii
Revised
Statutes,
the
state
building
code
council
3
currently
comprises
four
county
building
officials,
four
other
4
government
officials,
and
four
individuals
from
the
private
5
sector,
one
of
whom
is
required
to
be
an
individual
representing
6
the
Building
Industry
Association
of
Hawaii
or
the
General
7
Contractors
Association
of
Hawaii.
8
The
legislature
finds
that
since
its
creation,
the
state
9
building
code
council
has
struggled
with
limited
funding
and
10
staffing
support.
Also,
as
a
majority
of
the
council
consists
11
of
government
officials,
the
private
sector
has
voiced
concerns,
12
particularly
with
respect
to
codes,
that
the
council
has
adopted
13
changes
to
address
public
health
and
safety
with
little
or
no
14
consideration
of
increasing
overall
construction
costs
in
15
Hawaii.
16
The
legislature
recognizes
that
pursuant
to
section
107—28,
17
Hawaii
Revised
Statutes,
the
governing
bodies
of
the
counties
18
have
a
duty
to
amend,
adopt,
and
update
the
Hawaii
state
19
building
codes
as
they
apply
within
their
respective
20
jurisdiction,
without
approval
of
the
state
building
code
21
council.
As
the
recommended
commercial
and
residential
codes
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are
updated
and
adopted
every
three
years
at
the
national
level,
2
the
two-step
process
in
Hawaii,
which
requires
the
state
3
building
code
council
to
first
adopt
the
state
building
codes,
4
results
in
a
delay
of
the
adoption
of
those
codes.
This
is
5
contrary
to
the
intent
of
Act
82,
which
was
the
adoption
of
a
6
uniform
set
of
statewide
building
codes.
7
Accordingly,
the
purpose
of
this
Act
is
to
amend
the
8
process
for
the
adoption
of
state
building
codes
by
streamlining
9
the
duties
of
the
state
building
code
council.
10
SECTION
2.
Section
107—24,
Hawaii
Revised
Statutes,
is
11
amended
to
read
as
follows:
12
TlO7_24
Authority
and
duties
of
the
council.
(a)
Any
13
law
to
the
contrary
notwithstanding,
the
council
shall
establish
14
the
Hawaii
state
building
codes.
15
(b)
The
council
shall
[appoint
a
subcommittcc
comprising
16
thc
four
council
mcmbcrs
rcprcscnting
county
building
officials,
17
whonc
duty
shall
bc
to
rccocnd
any
ncccosary
or
dcsirablc
18
statc
amcndmcnts
to
tha
codes
and
standards
idcntificd
in
19
scction
107-25.
Any
rccommcndcd
statc
amcndmcnts
shall
rcquirc
20
thc
unanimous
agrccmcnt
of
the
subcommittee.]
conduct
a