SB1407 amends Hawaii’s school impact fee exemption statute to add a new category of exempt development: housing developed by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) for beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended. The bill leaves the existing exemptions in place for housing that permanently excludes school-aged children, housing subject to the transient accommodations tax, nonresidential development, projects with executed education contribution agreements, and Hawaii Community Development Authority development.
In practical terms, the bill would prevent DHHL housing projects from being charged school impact fees under section 302A-1603, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The measure is framed as a targeted housing and land-use change, and it takes effect upon approval. It also includes a standard savings clause preserving rights, duties, penalties, and proceedings that arose before the effective date.
Impact
The bill would amend section 302A-1603(b), HRS, by expanding the list of developments exempt from school impact fees to include DHHL housing for Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries. This would reduce or eliminate school impact fee obligations for qualifying DHHL projects, shifting the financial treatment of those developments under state law and potentially affecting how school infrastructure costs are allocated for such housing. The change is narrow and does not alter the broader school impact fee framework for other residential or nonresidential development.
Sentiment
The available materials suggest generally favorable or at least noncontroversial treatment of the bill. The measure is introduced by request, and there are no committee transcripts, recorded votes, or stated objections in the provided record. The bill’s title and description indicate a focused policy goal of supporting DHHL housing by exempting it from school impact fees.
Contention
No specific contention is documented in the provided record, but the likely policy issue is whether DHHL housing should be treated differently from other residential development for purposes of school impact fees. Supporters would likely emphasize the unique status of Hawaiian Home Lands housing and the need to reduce costs for beneficiary housing development, while any opposition would likely focus on the loss of fee revenue for school infrastructure or concerns about creating a special exemption. Because there are no transcripts or votes, no named legislators, agencies, or stakeholder groups are identified as taking positions.