Relating To The Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program.
SB1375 establishes the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, administered by the Insurance Commissioner, to provide grants to single-family homeowners for windstorm-resilience retrofits. The program is designed to help offset the cost of improvements that bring homes up to Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) FORTIFIED standards, including FORTIFIED Roof, Silver, or Gold, or a similar standard approved by the commissioner. The bill also allows the program to seek federal, private, and other grant funding, and it creates a special fund to receive those moneys and pay for both administration and homeowner grants.
To qualify, an applicant must own a single-family home, generally in good repair unless damaged by a catastrophic windstorm, and must meet several conditions including income not exceeding 140% of area median income, obtaining required permits, securing bids from at least three certified contractors, maintaining wind insurance, and, if applicable, flood insurance. Grants are paid only after the retrofit is completed and certified, and the commissioner may require random reinspections; failure to comply can trigger repayment of grant funds. The bill also requires confidentiality for application materials and allows the commissioner to contract with a third party to run the program, exempting the program from state procurement rules in chapter 103D and limiting administrative costs.
The bill amends the state civil service law to exempt full-time employees hired in the insurance division for administration and operations of the program from civil service coverage. It also appropriates $10 million from general revenues to seed the special fund, $10 million from the special fund for program implementation, and $1.5 million from the compliance resolution fund to create seven permanent positions in the insurance division to administer the program. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the overall sentiment cannot be measured from debate or floor action. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears policy-driven and supportive of homeowner resilience and disaster mitigation, with a strong administrative and funding framework. Potential points of contention include the use of public funds, the civil service exemption, the procurement exemption, confidentiality provisions, and the commissioner’s broad authority to set standards, procedures, and eligibility criteria by order rather than rulemaking.
SB1375 would add a new article to chapter 431, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a state grant program for wind-resilience retrofits and a dedicated special fund to finance it. It also amends section 76-16 to exempt program administration positions in the insurance division from civil service, and it makes direct appropriations from general revenues, the special fund, and the compliance resolution fund to launch and staff the program. The bill would affect single-family homeowners, contractors certified under IBHS/FORTIFIED standards, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the Insurance Commissioner, while also imposing confidentiality and compliance requirements on applicants and service providers.
No committee discussion or voting history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from testimony or votes. On its face, the bill reflects a generally affirmative policy approach toward disaster preparedness, home hardening, and insurance-related resilience, suggesting support for helping homeowners reduce wind damage risk. At the same time, the structure of the bill indicates a cautious approach to state liability and spending, since it expressly disclaims any entitlement and makes implementation contingent on appropriations and outside funding.
The main likely areas of contention are fiscal and administrative rather than the program’s purpose. Critics could question the $20 million in combined program funding and the additional staffing appropriation, as well as the decision to exempt program employees from civil service and the program from chapter 103D procurement requirements. Other possible concerns include the commissioner’s authority to set standards and procedures by order, the confidentiality restrictions on application materials, the lottery-based award process, and the requirement that homeowners meet insurance, permit, and contractor-certification conditions before receiving aid. Supporters would likely emphasize the program’s focus on reducing windstorm losses, protecting homeowners, and leveraging private and federal funds.