SB 511 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Summary

Clarifies that projects seeking exemptions from planning and development laws and rules may be modified by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation under certain conditions. Authorizes HHFDC to make recommendations to appropriate Legislative bodies. Requires HHFDC or a county to accept an application seeking certain exemptions within thirty days, and to process the application within one hundred twenty days before final approval by a county legislative body for certain housing projects. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB511 → SB511_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill shifts approval authority for affordable housing projects from the state Housing Finance and Development Corporation to county legislative bodies, requiring counties to accept applications within 30 days and process them within 120 days. The state corporation's role is limited to assessing applications for accuracy and imposing conditions only for health and safety reasons, rather than making final decisions. The effective date of the law is set to July 1, 2050.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from state-led project approval to a county-led process where the state corporation acts as an assessor and recommender only.

REQUIREMENT

Approval authority for housing project exemptions was transferred from the state corporation to county legislative bodies.

TIMELINE

New deadlines were established: counties must accept applications within 30 days and complete processing within 120 days.

The effective date for these changes was set to July 1, 2050.

ENFORCEMENT

The state corporation's power was restricted to assessing application accuracy and modifying projects only for health and safety standards.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Committee

Reported from HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 379) 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 HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Kanuha, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Aquino.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-04-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Re-Referred to HOU, WAM.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to HOU/EIG, WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

2 primary · 1 co-sponsor