SB 161 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO COUNTY PERMITTING AND INSPECTION.

Summary

Allows state projects to be exempt from county building permit requirements under certain conditions. Requires all exempted state projects to be included in a report that is regularly made available to the public. Allows state agencies that undertake projects to be dedicated to a county to prepare programmatic or project-specific agreements that establish requirements and standards for review and acceptance if the agency wants the project to be exempted. Allows state agencies that want to be exempted from county permitting processes to establish a cooperative working group. Requires cooperative working groups to submit an interim report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2026. Effective 5/13/2040. (SD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2025 Last action Feb 11, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB161 → SB161_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was significantly revised to add new requirements and clarify exemptions for state projects. The original version broadly exempted state projects from county permits, while the revised version adds conditions like flood zone restrictions, requires public reporting of exempted projects, and establishes a new cooperative working group mechanism for state agencies seeking exemptions. The effective date was also changed from immediate approval to May 13, 2040.

Scope change

The bill now applies more narrowly to state projects not in special flood hazard areas and requires public disclosure of exempted projects, whereas the original version had broader exemptions without reporting requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement that exempted state projects must not be located in special flood hazard areas as identified on FEMA maps.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that all exempted projects must be included in a public report or list of monthly environmental exemption notifications.

Added new provision allowing state agencies to establish cooperative working groups with counties to coordinate permitting processes and identify infrastructure needs.

Added requirement that cooperative working groups must submit interim progress reports to the legislature no later than twenty days before the 2026 regular session.

Added provision allowing state agencies undertaking projects to be dedicated to counties to prepare programmatic or project-specific agreements establishing review and acceptance standards.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from immediate approval to May 13, 2040.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Reported from EIG/GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 220) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Moriwaki, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard, San Buenaventura.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EIG recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EIG were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Wakai, Chang, DeCoite, Richards, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on EIG/GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 01-30-25 3:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Committee

Referred to EIG/GVO, WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 13, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

4 primary · 1 co-sponsor