Transcript Highlights:

• Having land banking authorities that will be in a position to reduce some of those costs, get some of
• I commend the Spokane Regional Land Bank for kicking this off to include nonprofits in this land banking
• Having land banking authorities that will be in a position to reduce some of those costs, get some of
• And I commend the Spokane Regional Land Bank for kicking this off to include nonprofits in this land
• land banking work that are going to get some additional benefits.

Bills: HB1974, HB2118, HB2236, HB2269

Keywords: land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation, deed restriction, affordability covenant, property tax exemption, excise tax exemption, predevelopment

Summary: The House Housing Committee met to executive several bills after a staff briefing on proposed substitutes and amendments. House Bill 1974, the land bank bill, was explained as being narrowed from the original version by removing several county oversight and grant-program provisions, while adding annual reporting and a real estate excise tax exemption. Members discussed land banking as a tool to support affordable housing, but some raised concerns about expanding tax exemptions and the effect on private developers and local tax bases. The committee voted 10-7 to report the substitute bill out with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 2236, dealing with Housing Finance Commission authority, was presented with a substitute clarifying that the commission may not make residential mortgage loans directly to individual homebuyers for owner-occupied housing, while allowing certain down-payment assistance and emphasizing that the commission is not intended to function as a retail mortgage lender. Discussion focused on whether removing language about using public funds could create concern about state-backed lending; supporters said the bill modernizes outdated law and clarifies intent, while opponents worried about taxpayer exposure and competition with private lenders. The committee voted 13-4 to advance the substitute. House Bill 2269, on middle housing and on-site sewage systems, was described as restoring current law so any county may allow middle housing in LAMIRDs, while limiting septic use to middle housing in LAMIRDs and requiring public sewer in non-rural counties. The sponsor said the substitute reflected collaboration with stakeholders and was a step toward expanding middle housing in rural areas. The committee unanimously approved the substitute 17-0. House Bill 2118 was discussed in staff briefing but was not moved during the executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Land bank authorities are authorized to acquire, hold, manage, improve, lease, transfer, or dispose of
• the land bank, is The original bill, including the requirement that the county authorize the land bank
• This bill now is going to be authorizing, enabling nonprofits to also do land banking work.
• This bill now is going to be authorizing, enabling nonprofits to also do land banking work.
• We are excited that Housing authorities are allowed to become land banking authorities through this enabling

Bills: HB1974, HB2265, HB2452

Keywords: land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation, deed restriction, affordability covenant, property tax exemption, excise tax exemption, predevelopment

Summary: The Housing Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2265, sponsored by Rep. Mena, would add tenant protections during extreme heat by allowing portable cooling devices, requiring landlords in the RLTA to provide cooling as reasonably required, and barring physical evictions during declared extreme heat periods. Committee members and the sponsor raised questions about how “reasonably required” cooling would be defined, how the eviction pause would work with sheriffs and unlawful detainer timelines, and whether the bill could raise rents or create liability and operational problems for landlords. Public testimony was split: supporters cited the 2021 heat dome, climate projections, and deaths from overheating, while opponents from landlord and property manager groups warned about costs, safety, building capacity, and eviction delays. Several witnesses asked for amendments, and the sponsor said she was open to further work on implementation details. The committee then heard HB 1974, a proposed substitute authorizing land banks in county urban growth areas to acquire, hold, improve, and transfer property for affordable housing, with tax exemptions and affordability requirements. The bill sponsor described it as a scaled-back version developed through an interim work group, and supporters from land banks, housing authorities, developers, youth shelter providers, and housing advocates said it would help assemble land, reduce costs, and support affordable and starter-home production. A counties representative also testified in support but said the grant program removed from the substitute would be worth restoring. One member asked staff about the bill’s priority transfer of tax-foreclosed property to land banks and whether that could affect surplus proceeds, and staff said the language applies to properties that have already gone through the auction process, though the terminology may need further review. Finally, the committee heard HB 2452, which would change service requirements for rent increase notices by allowing personal delivery, regular mail, or posting on the dwelling unit, instead of the current certified-mail-style requirement tied to unlawful detainer notices. The sponsor said the current system has led to notices not reaching tenants and unnecessary costs, and supporters from landlord, property management, realtor, and business groups said certified mail is expensive, inefficient, and often ineffective. Tenant advocates opposed the bill, arguing that mail-only service weakens notice protections and can cause tenants to miss time-sensitive rent increases; they said any reform should preserve door posting or personal service. The committee took no votes on any of the bills and closed the public hearings after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Substitute House Bill 1974 relates to establishing land banking authorities and comes to you from the
• may operate as a land bank.
• as land banks to hold property tax-free.
• Land trusts and land banks really work well together.
• to our land bank to developers.

Bills: HB2367, HB1974, HB2650, HB2626

Keywords: coal-fired plant, preferential treatment, energy policy, electric generation, regulatory reform, land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation

Summary: House Finance heard public testimony on several bills. HB 2367 would end certain exemptions for the Centralia coal plant by limiting its Climate Commitment Act exemption to pre-2026 emissions, removing restrictions on additional greenhouse gas requirements, and repealing coal sales and use tax exemptions. Staff and the sponsor said the bill would help keep the plant’s transition away from coal on track; business and utility-related witnesses asked for amendments to preserve allowance market stability, while climate advocates strongly supported the bill. The hearing was closed without a vote. HB 1974 would authorize public housing authorities, public corporations, and nonprofits to operate as land banks for affordable housing, give counties priority to land banks for tax-foreclosed property, and create property tax, leasehold excise tax, and REET exemptions tied to land bank activity, with a JLARC review required. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would help move underused and public land into affordable housing production, including starter homes and mixed-income projects. One question focused on whether public land should remain in public ownership longer-term; the sponsor said land banks and land trusts can work together, but financing can be difficult with very long covenants. The hearing was closed. HB 2650, an agency-request bill from the Department of Revenue, would standardize notice and effective-date rules for local REET and lodging tax changes and clarify documentation for affordable housing sales and use tax deferrals. DOR said the changes would improve administration with minimal fiscal impact, and the bill’s sponsor described it as a simple alignment measure. The only public testimony was from DOR in support, and the hearing was closed. HB 2626 would raise the premium tax on health maintenance organizations, health care service contractors, and self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements from 2% to 3%, remove a dentistry-related exemption, and create a new 1% tax on certain disability and group stop-loss insurers. The sponsor said the bill is intended to help backfill expected health care funding gaps and support Apple Health and subsidies, and asked about a possible amendment to prevent pass-through to consumers. Insurers, business groups, and dental plans opposed the bill, warning it would raise premiums, reduce affordability, and potentially affect employer coverage decisions; patient and advocacy witnesses supported the revenue concept but urged that proceeds be directed to health care subsidies and protections against pass-through. No vote was taken, and the committee also announced amendment deadlines and a 4 p.m. meeting the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1974 is the bill creating land bank authorities. Serena Dahlia.
• House Bill 1974 is the bill creating land bank authorities.
• as a land bank authority and establish a land bank.
• House Bill, 1974, is the bill creating land bank authorities.
• as a land bank authority and establish a land bank.

Bills: HB1983, HB1974, HB2334, HB2367, HB2650, HB2655

Keywords: timberland, real estate, excise tax, governmental entities, property taxation, land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation

Summary: House Finance held public hearings on several bills. HB 2451, a substitute bill on local tax increment financing, would add conditions on where increment areas can be designated, require more detailed project analyses and earlier notice/consultation with affected taxing districts, expand dispute resolution steps, and exempt preexisting TIF areas from some changes; cities, ports, and fire/public safety stakeholders testified in support, saying the bill reflects a negotiated compromise and improves protections for impacted districts. HB 2322 would change the alternative jet fuel incentive program from a production-capacity trigger to a date-certain start, add carbon-intensity scoring for fuels outside the Clean Fuels Program, and extend the credits through 2046; supporters said it gives certainty and helps develop sustainable aviation fuel, while an opponent argued the bill subsidizes continued fuel burning and urged reducing flights instead. HB 2590 would exempt limited equity cooperatives from WUCIOA unless they opt in, move and revise the statutory definition of LECs, and let cooperatives set certain resale and return terms in their governing documents; supporters said it removes mismatched legal barriers to affordable homeownership, while members raised concerns about unintended restrictive eligibility rules and asked about fair housing limits. HB 2655 would create a new sales and use tax exemption for certain new data centers in a specific eastern Washington county, conditioned on labor standards, job creation, and sustainability certifications; labor and economic development supporters said it would bring jobs and support related clean-energy projects, while opponents criticized the subsidy and the project labor/community workforce agreement requirements. The committee then took executive action and reported out HB 1983, HB 1974 as amended, HB 2334 as amended, HB 2367, and HB 2650, all with do-pass recommendations; HB 2367’s amendment to remove the emergency clause failed, and the committee adjourned after passing HB 2650 unanimously.

Bills: SB342, SB342, SB159

Keywords: land bank, land bank authority, local land bank authority, Alabama Land Bank Authority, tax delinquent property, tax sale, tax lien, redemption period, quiet title, blight remediation, vacant property, foreclosure, ad valorem tax, property tax exemption, intergovernmental agreement, county government, municipal government, redevelopment, brownfields, floodplain management

Transcript Highlights:

• Pleased to present House File 10006 regarding land banks and property tax abatement.
• ecosystems, where we lend and we land bank.
• ecosystems, where we lend and we land bank.
• ecosystems, where we lend and we land bank.
• </c> choose to opt in Access more of the Land choose to opt in Access more of the Land Bank<01:35:54.080

Bills: HF1277, HF1006

Keywords: data centers, tax exemption, Minnesota statutes, economic development, employment growth, property tax, abatement, land bank, redevelopment, political subdivision, 1183, house

Bills: SB15, SB65, SB241, SB304, SB402, SB413, SB427, SB499, SB583, SB621, SB673, SB840, SB850, SB854, SB974, SB1023, SB1024, SB1025, SB1106, SB 15

Keywords: SB 15, Texas Local Government Code, zoning preemption, housing affordability, small lots, lot size, lot density, single-family zoning, residential subdivision, municipal land use, local control, state preemption, parking requirements, setbacks, infill development, missing middle housing, lot width, lot depth, homebuilders, housing supply

Bills: HB402, HB402

Keywords: rural impact, legislation, agriculture, school funding, transparency, data assessment, rural communities, land bank authority, property acquisition, tax-delinquent properties, real estate management, local government revenue, floodplain management, stormwater drainage, emergency powers, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The cost for removal of them falls upon usually the city and county or private land owners to remove
• The cost for removal of them falls upon usually the city and county or private land owners to remove
• The cost for removal of them falls upon usually the city and county or private land owners to remove

Bills: HB1601, HB1616, HB1603, HB1604, HB1605, HB1606, HB1802, HB1569, HB1619, HB1730, HB1749, HB644, HB1620

Keywords: biosecurity, invasive species, Hawaii Invasive Species Council, Department of Land and Natural Resources, appropriation, agriculture, aquaculture, commercial activity, swine production, Korean natural farming, land leases, Hawaii, extension, Department of Agriculture, housing, workforce, land use, zoning, public-private partnerships, tax credit

Transcript Highlights:

• I said because we have the power and authority, we don't have all the wisdom and knowledge, and that's
• I said because we have the power and authority, we don't have all the wisdom and knowledge, and that's
• I said because we have the power and authority, we don't have all the wisdom and knowledge, and that's
• ,</c> because we have the power and authority, because we have the power and authority, we<00:17:56.799
• Um, I'm not the resident authority on Alabama High School Athletic Association rules and regulations.

Bills: SB342, HB379, HB326, HB233, HB388, SB342, HB379, HB326, HB233, HB388

Keywords: land bank, land bank authority, local land bank authority, Alabama Land Bank Authority, tax delinquent property, tax sale, tax lien, redemption period, quiet title, blight remediation, vacant property, foreclosure, ad valorem tax, property tax exemption, intergovernmental agreement, county government, municipal government, redevelopment, brownfields, floodplain management

Transcript Highlights:

• And first up to testify, we have the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
• </c> application comes to the particular land application comes to the particular land Um<00:45:30.160
• </c> making engineering choices and not land making engineering choices and not land use<00:45:50.800
• And Department of Land and Natural Resources...
• And Department of Land and Natural Resources...

Bills: HB644, HB1802, HB1569, HB1619, HB1620, HB1730, HB1749

Keywords: PFAS, single-use plastics, environmental health, food ware, pollution reduction, HB1802, conservation banking, conservation bank, mitigation banking, compensatory mitigation, incidental take permit, incidental take license, habitat conservation plan, HCP, DLNR, BLNR, Board of Land and Natural Resources, endangered species recovery committee, threatened species, endangered species

Summary: The committee heard several environmental and energy bills, beginning with HB 644 on single-use plastics. DLNR and DOH supported the measure, and environmental advocates said it would reduce plastic waste in oceans and landfills. Testifiers urged the bill to avoid weakening existing county ordinances, and some supported delaying implementation to use up inventory, while Upstream opposed compostable-plastic exemptions and urged prompt passage. Committee members asked whether reusable and refillable foodware could be added to the PFAS prohibition, and Upstream said that would be consistent with the bill’s goals. The committee then took up HB 1802 on conservation mitigation banks, HB 1569 on microfiber filters for newly manufactured washing machines, and HB 1619 on electric vehicle infrastructure. HB 1802 drew mostly agency testimony from DLNR, with opposition testimony noted from environmental groups, and members discussed whether suggested amendments would address concerns. HB 1569 received limited testimony, with support from the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition and opposition from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. HB 1619 was supported by the PUC, Hawaiian Electric, the Department of Transportation, and several advocacy groups; Earthjustice said the bill was needed to address a widening EV charging shortfall and described the funding increase as relatively small compared with the benefits. The committee also heard HB 1620, which would increase the barrel tax to fund the EV charging rebate program. The State Energy Office and PUC offered comments, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed the special-fund approach and said the bill should also address the non-petroleum fossil-fuel portion of the barrel tax. Earthjustice and youth transportation advocates supported the measure, and the chair asked for information on unused hydrogen fueling subaccount funds; PUC said no hydrogen program funds had been deployed and estimated the balance was likely around $2 million, with exact figures to be provided later. Finally, the committee heard HB 1730 on wastewater systems, which would create a wastewater technical advisory group and fund positions at DOH. DLNR, DOH, OPSD, UH, and several environmental groups supported the bill, emphasizing cesspool pollution, affordability, and the need for more staffing and technical assistance. Testifiers suggested amendments to create a separate cesspool conversion implementation working group and debated the size and composition of the advisory group, including whether to include outside engineers and whether SHIP should be on the panel. No votes were taken during the hearing segment provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The adjutant general has been designated as, as a public authority and has the authority for all actions
• The committee sub for House Bill 4956 authorizes the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement or TCOL to develop
• Although the Army and Air National Guard operate under dual federal and state authority, it is the Texas
• capacity and the crisis response system because those are the very services that keep people from landing
• Members, this is the bill we heard previously relating to the authority of a of a reserve peace officer

Bills: SB 36

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• How many acres of land are going to be tested?
• They're actively researching this as well, so we're gonna have public and private and our land grant
• So anyway, whatever land they've got available imagine they'll just try to fit.
• Are there any incentives that would push a private landowner to want to get their land tested?
• Yeah, you have to test your land before you spread it.

Bills: HB3126, HB3177, HB3311, HB3465, HB3786, HB3915, HB4333, HB4476, HB3403

Keywords: education funding, concurrent enrollment, school aid, Oklahoma State Regents, permanent school funds, higher education, revolving fund, court reporters, salaries, legislation, employment compensation, state administration, Oklahoma, community development, infrastructure, economic development, local government, financing, pooled finance, Oklahoma Emission Reduction

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a wholesale bank, so it does not compete with local banks or community banks.
• California cities, counties, and JPAs, joint power authorities, to form their own banks.
• So to open a public bank, it requires a local agency to obtain DFPI authorization.
• The bank itself is formed when articles of activation are approved by legislative authorities and by
• The bank itself is formed when articles of activation are approved by legislative authorities and of

Bills: SB5754

Keywords: public bank, state bank, finance, banking regulations, economic development, state investment, 904, all

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee met on January 15 for two work sessions and a public hearing. The first work session featured the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine tax preferences. JLARC recommended legislative action on eight of the nine reviews. Topics included natural gas transportation fuel preferences, preferential B&O rates for travel agents and tour operators, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, a property tax exemption for nonprofit multipurpose senior centers, a sales and use tax remittance for disabled veteran adapted housing, a trade convention attendance preference, a B&O exemption for wholesale sales of certain agricultural products, a hazardous substance tax exemption for pesticides stored for out-of-state shipment, and energy tax preferences for a silicon smelter. JLARC generally found that some preferences met their stated or inferred objectives while others did not, and recommended continuations, modifications, or expiration depending on the review. Committee members asked a few questions about industry consolidation in the travel sector and about the housing exemption’s performance measures and reporting issues. The second work session was an overview of public banking, with a presentation from California public banking advocates and testimony from the Bank of North Dakota’s president. Speakers described public banks as government-owned financial institutions that could keep public deposits working in-state, support local lending, and finance infrastructure, housing, disaster recovery, and other public priorities. They cited the Bank of North Dakota as a model and discussed California’s municipal public banking efforts. Committee questions focused on how deposits could be leveraged, how public banks would manage liquidity and risk, and how public banking would interact with existing state investment and pension systems. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5754, which would create a Washington State public bank. Staff explained the bill’s activation process, governance structure, powers, and fiscal impacts, noting that startup costs and broader fiscal effects were largely indeterminate. Supporters included statewide elected officials, county and city officials, labor representatives, public banking advocates, and private citizens, who argued the bank could lower borrowing costs, keep public funds in Washington, expand financing for infrastructure and disaster resilience, and help address the state’s debt and capital needs. Opponents, including a community bankers representative and a county treasurer, argued the proposal posed risks to safety and liquidity, lacked a proven track record, and was unnecessary given existing state lending and investment programs. The hearing concluded without a vote, and the committee adjourned after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• The specific purpose for which the bonds were authorized under certain conditions is the primary change
• for M&O, and these things are authorized for INS."
• , it will also state the estimated interest for the debt obligations to be authorized.
• Endeavors outside of those core functions, like running one or more public banks, siphon away finite
• What we all understand and basically know about what our banking system is all about.

Bills: SB414, SB621, SB2395

Keywords: bond election, ballot proposition, debt obligation, municipal bonds, local government finance, property tax, ad valorem tax, school district bonds, county bonds, special taxing district, voter information document, public debt, municipal finance, tax-supported debt, election ballot language, bond transparency, homestead tax impact, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, public bank

Transcript Highlights:

• We are authorized to hold the meeting in a hybrid format, so we may have virtual comments today as well
• The footprints of our ancestors are still present across the land.
• The footprints of our ancestors are still present across the land.
• As many of you stand on this land, you stand on our ancestors.
• Can the bank take the house and sell it to recoup their money?

Bills: HB89, HB328, HB344, HB365, HB283, HB89, HB328, HB344, HB365, HB283

Keywords: home improvement, consumer protection, consumer fraud, dispute resolution, mediation, contractor registration, home repair, renovation, homeowner, building contractor, construction fraud, treble damages, attorney fees, Department of Justice, Division of Consumer Protection, Department of Labor, good faith, unfair trade practices, Delaware, regulations

Summary: The Senate Elections and Government Affairs Committee met in hybrid format, approved the June 10 draft minutes, and then heard a long agenda of bills. HB 89 (home improvement fraud dispute resolution) was presented as a consumer protection measure developed with DOJ to address contractor fraud, especially against vulnerable homeowners; members voiced support and asked to be added as sponsors. HB 283 updated realty transfer tax exemptions to use gender-neutral “spouses” language and add a direct grandparent-to-grandchild transfer exemption; it drew supportive public comment. HS1 for HB 390 would let DelDOT choose electronic-only bidding for projects, remove newspaper bid-opening notices, and clarify bidding records, with no opposition raised. HB 328/H.A. 2 modernizes the Register of Regulations statute, keeps newspaper distribution requirements, and delays some effective dates to 2027; it was described as a technical update. HB 365 would create the Delaware Indigenous Affairs Commission, prompting supportive testimony from Indigenous community members and some discussion about representation and internal tribal اختلافs, but no formal opposition. HB 423 would automatically enroll new state employees in the 457B deferred compensation plan unless they opt out, with exclusions for collective bargaining units and implementation tied to payroll readiness; it was presented as a retirement-savings measure. SS1 for SB 342 would modernize the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission to support a broader film/media incentive package, with support from the Delaware Arts Alliance and a request to help attract productions to Delaware. The committee also heard SB 331, a cleanup bill on garagekeeper liens for manufactured housing and related assets. The sponsor and an attorney explained it as clarifying who can recover funds and attorney’s fees in lien sales, but the Chief Magistrate and the manufactured housing association said the issue should be addressed more carefully and possibly in another section of code; they were open to further work. HB 436 would update the Smyrna charter, including school impact fees, election challenge procedures, vacancy rules, domicile standards, Board of Elections terms, and meeting schedules. HS1 for HB 376 made technical and organizational changes to the Millville charter, including a tiebreaker for municipal elections and a property tax cap, with the town solicitor saying there was little substantive change. HB 460 would require New Castle County municipalities to submit permit data monthly rather than on a much slower schedule, limited to closed permits with certificates of occupancy, to improve property assessment data; it was presented as part of broader reassessment/data-quality efforts. Public comment was heard on several items, especially HB 365 and SS1 for SB 342. Indigenous speakers supported the commission as a way to preserve heritage, improve representation, and create a formal seat at the table. The Delaware Arts Alliance supported the film commission modernization bill as part of a broader creative-economy plan. No recorded votes were taken on the individual bills in the transcript, and the meeting ended with a unanimous motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• always be a bank.
• But if you're a bank, you are a bank.
• Farmers and Merchants Bank, a division of Merchants and Marine Bank.
• code in Title VI, we authorize what we want in Louisiana banks.
• We are still a bank. They're saying, ...and many, many banks disagree. We are still a bank.

Bills: HB387, HB673, HB947, HB975, HB1102, HB1228, HB1229, HCR66, SB102, SB165, SB280, SB291, SB326, SB521

Keywords: engineering, land surveying, construction, state fire marshal, plan review, security cameras, abandoned property, blighted structures, property management, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, Department of Public Service, statutory entities, public administration

Bills: HB468, SB366, HB468, HB561, SB227, SB32

Keywords: service of process, funding, Marion County, fees, legal documents, firefighters, rights, personnel procedures, state law, public safety, HB468, local commissions, local authorities, municipal planning commission, planning commission, zoning, land use, municipal official, municipal officer, city council

Transcript Highlights:

• There's only one bank in the western half of Coke County.
• They couldn't condemn it; they didn't have the authority to flood other people's land, so they bought
• that land.
• We are a river authority in groundwater conservation.
• In some ways, it’s a little bit of a no-man's land.

Bills: HB334, HB583, HB605, HB1327, HB1646, HB2115, HB2379

Keywords: family leave, leave pool, county employee, sick leave, vacation leave, family care, pandemic, guardianship, fencing, reservoirs, local government, regulation, land use, conservation capacity, property regulation, fence regulation, reservoir safety, county authority, fencing regulations, counties

Transcript Highlights:

• , a clay bank eroding.
• Um, we've been working for a long time to try to establish conservation banking authority, and so we've
• </c><01:02:40.480><c> authority</c> establish conservation banking authority establish conservation banking
• </c><01:10:16.960><c> and</c> land board to the for the land and land board to the for the land and natural
• Thank you very much. um it was authored this testimony was um it was authored this testimony was authored

Bills: HB1846, HB2205, HB1802, HB1571, HB2047, HB2434, HB2426, HB2361, HB2395, HB1712, HB2544, HB1619

Keywords: coastal erosion, shoreline properties, regional planning, mitigation districts, sediment management, environmental impact, public access, community financing, shoreline erosion, emergency permits, coastal management, erosion control, Hawaii Revised Statutes, HB1802, conservation banking, conservation bank, mitigation banking, compensatory mitigation, incidental take permit, incidental take license

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1846, relating to shoreline mitigation districts. DLNR and the Office of Planning opposed the bill, arguing it would improperly shift regulatory roles between the agencies and prioritize private land interests over public trust and natural and historic resources. Supporters, including the Shoreline Preservation Coalition, Kahana Bay residents, and Hawaii Realtors, said regional planning is needed to address severe erosion, especially in Kahana, and that better coordination between state and county agencies could help move stalled projects forward. Testifiers emphasized that shoreline conditions vary by area and that science-based, region-specific solutions are needed. Members asked questions about whether existing law already allows regional planning and emergency shoreline responses. DLNR said it already has authority to process regional projects and cited an existing draft EIS for Kahana Bay that would proceed through normal permitting and public hearing channels. Supporters responded that the bill would provide a clearer regional planning framework and help communities facing urgent erosion impacts. No vote was taken on HB 1846 in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 2205, relating to emergency erosion mitigation. DLNR opposed the bill, saying it already has authority to issue emergency permits and had recently done so quickly for a collapsed sidewalk at Queen Surf Beach, and warning that the bill’s language could weaken Act 16 by changing a prohibition on shoreline hardening to a requirement to merely minimize it. Kahana Bay representatives and other supporters argued the bill would create a limited, regulated short-term pathway for emergency shoreline solutions while long-term plans are developed, and said current permits have expired or stalled, leaving dangerous sandbags and no practical relief. Additional testimony from a private homeowner stressed that erosion is threatening homes and that private owners are often bearing the cost of protecting public shoreline access. The discussion remained focused on balancing emergency protection, public access, and long-term shoreline management, and no final action was taken in the excerpt provided.