Transcript Highlights:

• Do we have a sense of how it's delineated between the Office of Public Construction, the State Architect
• Have a sense of how it's delineated between the Office of Public Construction, the State Architect, and
• that's for the Division of State Architect and $750,000 that's for the Office of Public School Construction
• Division of the State Architect, $750,000 one-time general fund for the Office of Public School Construction
• We're already down millions of units that we needed to have constructed in the decades prior.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:50.399> costs recognizing that uh construction costs recognizing that uh construction
• >> After the Maui fires the construction >> After the Maui fires the construction rebuild
• Cost of construction. >> Okay.
• of increased cost of construction? Yes. of increased cost of construction? Yes.
• So, you could be woodframe, you can be construction, uh, sorry, concrete, you know, fireresistant construction

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint committees held an informational briefing on efforts to expand insurance capacity in Hawaii’s property market, especially for condominium and homeowners coverage. The Insurance Commissioner reviewed the background: a legislative task force, the governor’s emergency proclamation in August 2024, and Senate Bill 1044 in May 2025 led to new condo insurance products. He said the work over the past two and a half years was producing positive results and introduced representatives from HPIA and HHRF/HHR to provide updates. HPIA’s board chair and its administrator described the organization’s history, structure, and current products. HPIA said it was created in 1991 as a residual market for homeowners insurance, now writing four residential products: HO2 homeowners, renters, HO6 condo unit owners, and dwelling fire. They reported policy counts have grown again as admitted-market carriers tightened underwriting, and they discussed financial pressure from reinsurance costs, though those costs had declined in 2025 after different purchasing decisions. They also said the market has become more favorable overall, with some capacity returning and deductibles beginning to ease. Members focused much of their questioning on HPIA’s proposed higher dwelling limits. HPIA explained that the current $450,000 limit for homeowners and dwelling fire was set in 2023, but agents are now asking for a higher limit in the $650,000 to $750,000 range because construction costs have risen and many policies are not being submitted when the limit is too low. HPIA said it has the authority to raise the limit through a filing with the Insurance Division and expects more submissions if the cap increases. They also discussed the shift in the book of business from roughly 70% lava-zone coverage to closer to a 50/50 split between lava and non-lava risks. HPIA outlined strategic initiatives: a new policy administration system that went live October 1 and now allows online payments, online claims reporting, and electronic notices; a filed request to raise the homeowners and dwelling fire limit to $650,000 effective March 1 for new business and April 1 for renewals; an increase in the HO6 condo unit owners limit from $5,000 to $100,000; and a planned commercial property all-other-perils-excluding-hurricane condo product targeted for filing by January 31. No votes were taken, and the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• these um are both construction these um are both appropriation<01:06:52.799> increases<01:06:
• This is estimated debt construction.
• Lines 325 and 326 are recognition of the federal revenue referenced above for state road construction
• This was in the environment omnibus bill related to environmental analysis of construction materials.
• environmental analysis of construction environmental analysis of construction materials.<01:19:37.840

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fund for the design and construction of noise barrier projects.
• fund for the design and construction of noise barrier projects.
• This leverages New Hampshire's Turnpike toll credits to create a dedicated noise barrier construction
• fund for the design and construction of noise barrier projects.
• uh that are spent and construction uh that are spent and construction activities<01:41:26.760>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• gone back uh with the state construction gone back uh with the state construction department,<00
• left over from other construction left over from other construction projects,<00:55:08.400> which
• > third >> Construction inspections qualified third >> Construction inspections qualified
• on House Bill 140, Construction on House Bill 140, Construction Inspections,<02:39:37.040> Qualified
• House Bill Funded Capital Construction.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have critical representatives from the state's essential workforce, from our construction industry
• zoning and construction zoning and construction standards<00:30:54.360> what<00:30:54.480
• <00:36:27.160> industry schools I mean our construction industry schools I mean our construction
• He said there will be tremendous construction costs to remediate this land and to make it safe.
• Design considerations construction Design considerations construction methods<02:28:00.399> and

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the Water and Land, Hawaiian Affairs, and Housing committees on January 29, 2025 focused on SB 534, with the chairs outlining hearing procedures, public testimony limits, and plans to allow extended presentations from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) before moving to other testifiers. The hearing was presented as a public, transparent discussion of OHA’s plans for Kakaʻako Makai, with committee members noting that decision-making would follow if time permitted. OHA testified in strong support of SB 534. The chair of OHA’s Board of Trustees said the bill was a novel proposal for the legislature and emphasized that OHA was bringing together a broad coalition of partners and stakeholders, including representatives from construction, hospitality, education, law enforcement, civil service, and schools, as well as longtime community advocates who have opposed development in Kakaʻako Makai. OHA’s presentation reviewed the history of the area, the creation and role of HCDA, prior master plans, the 2012 land conveyance to OHA, and the argument that OHA has not been able to realize the full economic value of the lands because desired entitlements were not secured. OHA linked the bill to its constitutional mission to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians and argued that the state’s housing crisis makes additional development, including residential use, especially important. A major theme of the testimony was housing. OHA argued that Hawaiʻi faces severe affordability pressures, out-migration, and workforce shortages, and said that residential development in Kakaʻako Makai would help address those needs while also supporting the value of the trust lands. The presentation described HCDA’s authority over zoning and development in Kakaʻako, the existing reserved housing requirements, and the need for a master plan that could move forward if SB 534 becomes law. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the discussion remained in the presentation and testimony phase.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're still seeking funding for design and scope and then, of course, ultimately construction of such
• We're still seeking funding for design and scope and then, of course, ultimately construction of such
• <00:13:39.440> Uh<00:13:39.680> so construction of such a facility.
• Uh so construction of such a facility.
• Um, as Elsie construction project.

Keywords: The original version of this live stream dropped before the meeting was technically finished. This is the complete copy pulled from back up sources., 958, all

Summary: The committee met to hear updates from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on two related issues: a proposed high-acuity juvenile mental health treatment facility and medical services contracts, including the impact of Wellpath’s bankruptcy proceedings. At the start, the chair agreed to hear the Department of Corrections first so members could get context on the medical contract before turning to DJJ’s proposal. DOC officials said Wellpath, the department’s comprehensive medical and mental health provider since 2013, was awarded its current contract through a 2021 procurement process. They reported that Wellpath’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan had been confirmed and that the company had transitioned ownership to lenders, but had not yet fully completed the bankruptcy process. DOC said there had been no service lapses, no reduction in care, and no known impact on Kentucky vendors or hospitals, and that DOC staff meet with Wellpath almost weekly. Members asked whether the committee had been kept informed and whether the bankruptcy could affect future services or subcontractors. DJJ then presented its concept for a high-acuity facility, explaining that the project is still in the preliminary programming and conceptual stage and has not yet entered the formal design phase with DECA. Officials said the proposal in the capital plan would create a 24-bed facility, with 16 clinical beds and 8 assessment/stabilization beds, to serve justice-involved youth with serious mental health needs. They said the facility would need to separate males and females and high- and low-risk youth, and that current placements often require sending youth out of state to places such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas. Staff said the goal is to centralize treatment, improve safety, and reduce the need for fragmented or out-of-state placements. Committee members questioned the cost estimates, staffing needs, and whether the facility was justified given the small number of youth currently placed out of state. DJJ said the operational estimate includes an unknown medical-contract component and that the number of youth needing the facility can fluctuate because of surges in the juvenile population. Officials also said they had consulted with South Carolina, which is developing a similar facility, and noted that renovating existing facilities was considered but could be more expensive or impractical than building a separate site. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• They said we have 10 gigawatts under construction.
• <01:38:03.520> the include capital construction with the include capital construction with
• state building construction building the state building construction state<01:38:15.040> construction
• state construction department's budget. state construction department's budget.
• <02:41:59.680> on we've also now started construction on we've also now started construction

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• has documented that construction demolition waste has 200 times as much arsenic as clean wood.
• <00:54:18.800> and from trash or construction and from trash or construction and demolition
• Um this bill adds<00:54:31.040> construction<00:54:31.600> demolition<00:54:32.120>
• waste<00:54:32.400> as<00:54:32.520> a adds construction demolition waste as a adds
• , planning, design, construction, planning, design, construction, equipment,<01:45:53.960> and

Bills: HB1736, HB1620, HB1695

Keywords: animal control, spay and neuter, pet overpopulation, sterilization, counties funding, tax designation, veterinary care, electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy policy, rebate program, environmental impact, renewable fuels, sustainable aviation fuel, tax credit, greenhouse gas emissions, local production, energy resilience, agricultural innovation, job creation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1737, which clarifies allowable uses in agricultural districts for farm dwellings and farm employee housing, and HB 1604 HD2, which creates an agricultural workforce housing working group within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Testimony on HB 1737 was overwhelmingly supportive, with county agriculture officials, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Farmers Union backing the measure; one witness asked for a definition of “affordable” to guard against misuse of farm housing. For HB 1604, the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Hawaii Farmers Union, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, with OHA requesting disaggregated data and a seat on the working group. Committee discussion focused on housing shortages, possible misuse, affordability, and whether innovative housing models such as modular, tiny, and container homes should be considered. The committee then took action on both measures. HB 1737 HD3 was recommended to pass with amendments that would limit farm employee housing to agricultural employees and their immediate family members actively engaged in the farm operation, add a grandfathering provision for existing permitted housing, preserve county zoning authority, clarify that ag tourism must be secondary and not occur in employee housing, delete a square-footage-per-acre ratio, and defer the effective date to July 1, 2050. HB 1604 HD2 was also recommended to pass with amendments adding OHA and a housing-shortage organization to the working group, expanding its scope to include modular, tiny, and container homes and permitting/zoning streamlining, and deferring the effective date to July 1, 2050. Both motions were adopted unanimously by the members present. The joint hearing then moved to HB 1736, which would establish a spay and neuter special fund and require sterilization and declaration provisions for cats, with some discussion of dogs. DLNR and the Hawaiian Humane Society supported the bill, while Pacific Pet Alliance objected to the broader requirements and the inclusion of dogs; the Hawaiian Humane Society and American Bird Conservancy supported cat-focused sterilization and the special fund, while some testifiers opposed mandatory sterilization as too costly or intrusive. Members raised questions about toxoplasmosis, trap-neuter-release, enforcement, neighbor-island access, and funding needs, and DLNR indicated additional funding and third-party contracting would likely be needed. The transcript then began HB 1620 HD2 on energy, which would increase the environmental response energy and food security tax and shift funds from the hydrogen fueling subaccount to EV charging infrastructure; state agencies generally stood on written testimony in support, while the Tax Foundation objected to special fund earmarks and noted the bill raises only one part of the barrel tax structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the Office of Public School Construction, the School Facility Program administered by the Office
• For the Office of Public School Construction, the School Facility Program administered by the Office
• Like we're giving money to consultants, or is this actual construction dollars?
• They serve as vital cultural centers, empowering our future leaders and constructing education based
• And I think one data point that I would just leave for part of the overall construction as it relates

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now they're going to be constructing a water treatment facility on all their nine wells, and that
• construction is going to cost $70 million because of the PAS in all nine of the municipal wells.
• water treatment facility on constructing water treatment facility on all<00:08:30.160> their<
• <00:08:50.480> these<00:08:50.720> wells going to take to construct these wells going
• to take to construct these wells or<00:08:51.440> these<00:08:51.760> treatment<00:08:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It prohibits the construction, modification, or expansion of any waste or disposal facility for hazardous
• <00:18:42.240> modification<00:18:42.760> or<00:18:42.919> expansion construction
• road building or the ash in construction road building or other<00:24:02.480> alternative<00:
• They will end up going into roads or other construction materials if allowed to be so-called recycled
• materials if allowed other construction materials if allowed to<00:30:35.480> be<00:30:35.640

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard several measures focused on water quality, waste management, aquifer protection, wastewater, and climate-related funding. SB 984 on water pollution drew opposition from DLNR and the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, with the latter arguing the bill could unfairly blame landowners for runoff caused by terrain and storm events; the chair noted there were also supporters and commenters submitted in writing. SB 639 on underground storage tanks received support from the Department of Health, the Board of Water Supply, and the Sierra Club, with testimony emphasizing environmental restoration standards after jet fuel releases; no opposition was noted in the live testimony. SB 946 on wastewater management was presented as clarifying that the ban on discharging wastewater or raw sewage into state waters applies to treatment plants, and it drew support from the County of Maui, DOH, and Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition, with no questions or opposition raised in the hearing. The committee also heard SB 438 on waste disposal facilities near significant aquifers. DOH and the Water Commission offered comments, while the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services opposed the bill because of a provision affecting ash recycling; the Board of Water Supply and Sierra Club supported the measure, and the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board and Energy Justice Network raised concerns about fly ash and bottom ash recycling, landfill capacity, and potential contamination of aquifers. Testimony reflected a split between environmental protection concerns and arguments that the bill could block beneficial reuse of ash. The committee then took up HB 1395 on state funds, which would direct interest from the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund to the general fund when the reserve exceeds the state’s target. The Governor’s office, emergency management, the State Energy Office, the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority, the Nature Conservancy, and several other groups supported the bill’s climate-resilience intent, while the Tax Foundation and committee discussion raised concerns that the measure functioned mainly as a revenue transfer without a dedicated spending mechanism. Members discussed whether a special fund or legislative appropriation process would better ensure the money was used for climate mitigation and related projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• other things you can see here that are highlighted in blue that were added to that is gas well construction
• other things you can see here that are highlighted in blue that were added to that is gas well construction
• other things you can see here that are highlighted in blue that were added to that is gas well construction
• and sealing of gas for construction and sealing of gas Wells<00:21:25.360> along<00:21:25.640
• They continued on to get a construction stormwater permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Keywords: 1183, house