Requesting The Department Of Accounting And General Services To Convene A Cooperative Working Group To Address State Projects That Require County Permitting.
Summary
SR172 is a Senate Resolution requesting the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) to convene a cooperative working group focused on state projects that require county-level permits. The resolution cites widespread delays in county permitting, especially in Honolulu, and notes that these delays have increased project costs and slowed delivery of public projects. The working group would be tasked with studying the causes of the delays and developing recommendations to streamline permitting for state projects only.
The resolution specifies a broad interagency membership for the working group, including state executive officials, legislative members, county permitting representatives, and agencies involved in land use, transportation, education, housing, energy, wastewater, and building codes. The group would be chaired by the Comptroller or designee and would be required to report findings and any proposed legislation to the Legislature before the 2028 Regular Session.
Impact
SR172 does not directly amend existing statutes or create new permitting rules; instead, it establishes a legislative request for an executive-branch working group to study state project permitting delays and recommend changes. Its practical impact is to initiate a formal review process that could lead to future legislation, administrative coordination, or process reforms affecting county permitting of state-funded construction and infrastructure projects. The resolution primarily affects DAGS and the various state and county entities named to participate.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests favorable sentiment toward the resolution, with the Senate Government Operations Committee passing it unanimously and without amendment. The bill’s findings frame the issue as a significant administrative and fiscal problem, emphasizing project delays, inflation-driven cost increases, and lost efficiency. Overall, the discussion context indicates support for examining the permitting bottlenecks rather than opposition to the resolution’s purpose.
Contention
The main point of contention implied by the resolution is not the need to address delays, but the source of those delays and how much authority the State should seek over county permitting processes. The bill focuses on state projects only, which may reflect sensitivity around county autonomy and the limits of state influence over local permitting departments. Any future recommendations from the working group could raise questions about balancing faster state project delivery with county review standards, environmental compliance, and local planning authority.
Same As
Requesting The Department Of Accounting And General Services To Convene A Cooperative Working Group To Address State Projects That Require County Permitting.
Requesting The Department Of Transportation To Convene A Working Group To Develop And Recommend Federal, State, And County Programs Subsidizing The Transport Of Waterborne Cargo.