SB 68 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING.

Summary

Establishes the Department of Housing. Places the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and Hawaii Public Housing Authority within the Department of Housing for administrative purposes. Replaces the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism with the Director of Housing on the Hawaii Community Development Authority. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB68 → SB68_SD1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill consolidates multiple housing-related state agencies into a new Department of Housing to streamline efforts to solve Hawaii's housing crisis. It transfers the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, and Hawaii Public Housing Authority under the new department, replacing the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism with a Director of Housing.

Scope change

The bill significantly expands the scope of the Department of Housing by merging four separate agencies and redefining the department's responsibilities to include coastal zone management, climate change, and statewide planning functions previously handled by other agencies.

SCOPE

Establishes a new Department of Housing that consolidates four existing agencies to eliminate redundancies and improve housing crisis response.

REQUIREMENT

Expands the Department of Housing's responsibilities to include coastal zone management, climate change, sustainability, environmental review, and statewide planning interests.

Replaces the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism with a Director of Housing as the new single executive head of the consolidated department.

Transfers administrative oversight of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from the Department of Human Services to the new Department of Housing.

TIMELINE

Sets the effective date of the Act to July 1, 2050, which appears to be a placeholder or error date given the 2025 legislative session.

DEFINITION

Updates references throughout state statutes to replace 'director of business, economic development, and tourism' with 'director of housing' and 'department of business, economic development, and tourism' with 'department of housing'.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Reported from HOU/GVO (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 289) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on GVO recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in GVO were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) McKelvey, Gabbard, Moriwaki, San Buenaventura, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU/GVO has scheduled a public hearing on 01-30-25 1:05PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to HOU/GVO, WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

3 primary · 1 co-sponsor