Hawaii House Bill HB1712

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Refer: 1/26/26
• Report Pass: 2/18/26
• Refer: 2/18/26

Caption

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

Summary

HB1712 would revise the membership of Hawaii’s State Building Code Council. The bill increases the council from 12 to 15 voting members and makes the representatives of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent, standing members rather than alternating four-year terms. It also adds two new voting seats: one for the Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675, and one for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186. The bill keeps the council within the Department of Accounting and General Services for administrative purposes and leaves the nonvoting comptroller seat unchanged. The measure is framed as a response to concerns that the council has been under-resourced and that its code-update process creates burdens for counties, builders, and consumers. The findings section says the council has lacked sufficient staffing and technical expertise, and that frequent updates to model building codes can increase construction costs and delay permitting. By adding more industry representation, the bill aims to improve the council’s knowledge base and reduce the practical burdens associated with updating and implementing the state building code.

Impact

If enacted, HB1712 would amend Section 107-22 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes governing the State Building Code Council. The legal effect would be to expand the council’s voting membership, convert two rotating industry seats into permanent seats, and add two labor-affiliated seats. This would alter the composition of the body responsible for developing and updating Hawaii’s statewide building code, potentially affecting future code amendments, administrative workload, and the balance of perspectives represented in code-making decisions.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally supportive of construction-industry and labor participation in the code-setting process, with its stated purpose emphasizing expertise, efficiency, and reduced burdens on counties and the construction sector. The available record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, but the committee history shows the House Judiciary Committee recommended deferral, suggesting at least some procedural hesitation or unresolved issues. Overall, the bill’s framing is pragmatic and reform-oriented rather than controversial on its face.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the shift in council composition and the expansion of industry and labor seats on a body that the findings describe as a statewide public-safety entity. Supporters would view the changes as adding needed technical expertise and stakeholder input, while critics could question whether permanent seats for specific private associations and unions could tilt the council away from broader public-interest or governmental oversight. The bill also implicitly raises concerns about whether increasing membership will improve efficiency or instead complicate decision-making, though the text itself argues the opposite.