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SCR 177

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL SERVICES TO CONVENE A COOPERATIVE WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS STATE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE COUNTY PERMITTING.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Stanley Chang and 7 co-sponsors

A working group will study and propose ways to streamline county permitting for state projects to reduce delays and costs.

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 860).
#countypermittingdepartments #dags #report #stateprojects #workinggroup
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Bill Summary · SCR 177

Summary of SCR 177 (2026) – Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution

Purpose and Intent

  • SCR 177 requests the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) to convene a cooperative working group.
  • Objective: address state projects that require county permitting and to explore ways to streamline the county permitting process specifically for state projects.

Background and Rationale

  • The bill highlights that Hawaii state projects involve hundreds of building permit applications to county permitting departments, incurring substantial costs (hundreds of millions of dollars) and supporting thousands of jobs.
  • It notes significant delays in permit approvals, with data from 2022–2023 from the City and County of Honolulu showing:
    • Over 90% of state building permit applications took longer than 180 days to obtain approval.
    • Average approval time was about 600 days.
    • This delay is about six times longer than the average private-sector permit processing time.
    • The delays contributed to state costs increasing by more than $30 million over two years due to inflation.
  • The resolution seeks to gather information, identify inefficiencies, and develop recommendations to resolve county-level permitting obstacles affecting state projects.

Key Provisions

Creation and Scope of the Working Group

  • The DAGS is directed to convene a cooperative working group focused on streamlining state projects that require county permitting.
  • The working group is tasked with researching, evaluating, and issuing recommendations on ways to expedite and improve the permitting process specifically for state projects.

Membership and Leadership

The working group shall include, and is to be chaired by, the following members or their designees:
1. The Comptroller (chair of the working group).
2. The Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Government Operations.
3. One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker.
4. The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), or their designee.
5. The Director of Transportation, or their designee.
6. The Superintendent of Education, or their designee.
7. The President of the University of Hawaii System, or their designee.
8. The Executive Director of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDH Authority), or their designee.
9. The Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HFDC), or their designee.
10. The Director of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD), or their designee.
11. The Chief Energy Officer, or their designee.
12. The Chief of the Wastewater Branch of the Department of Health, or their designee.
13. The Chair of the State Building Code Council (under DAGS), or their designee.
14. One representative from each county planning and permitting department to be invited by the chair.

Deliverables and Timeline

  • The working group must prepare and submit a report detailing findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2028.
  • This report may include proposed legislative changes aimed at streamlining the permitting process for state projects.

Notification and Transmission

  • Certified copies of the Concurrent Resolution will be transmitted to the listed officials and agencies, ensuring formal acknowledgment and participation.

Likely Impact

Who Would Be Affected

  • State agencies and offices involved in capital projects that require county permitting (e.g., Comptroller, DOE, UH, HCDH Authority, HFDC, OPSD, BLNR, transportation, health, energy office, wastewater, etc.).
  • County planning and permitting departments (invited to participate) and, by extension, the permitting timelines and workflows at the county level.
  • legislative bodies and leadership (Senate Government Operations; House leadership) as part of the governance and oversight of the process.

Potential Outcomes

  • Identification of bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and cost drivers in the current state-project-permitting process at the county level.
  • Recommendations for streamlined processes, governance structures, or policy changes to accelerate approvals for state projects.
  • Possible proposed legislation in the 2028 session to implement changes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective action: The resolution directs DAGS to form the working group; no specific date is provided for formation beyond the expectation that the group be convened to begin its work.
  • Reporting deadline: A comprehensive report with findings and possible legislative proposals must be submitted to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the 2028 Regular Session convening.
  • The resolution is a concurrent resolution (not law itself) and expresses legislative intent and requests rather than mandating a particular statute or funding appropriation.

Compare with Context (Why It Matters)

  • The bill acknowledges the substantial economic impact of permitting delays on state construction projects, including cost overruns and delayed project timelines.
  • By creating a multi-stakeholder working group, the measure aims to produce data-driven strategies and potential legislative changes to reduce permit times without compromising public safety or environmental standards.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise one-page briefing or a side-by-side comparison with similar efforts in other states.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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