HB1964 • 2026

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

Budget Labor

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, AMATO, BELATTI, EVSLIN, GRANDINETTI, ILAGAN, KAHALOA, KUSCH, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, SAYAMA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

While the bill requires annual training and specifies funding amounts, it does not provide detailed information on how the training will be delivered or what specific digital tools might be used. Additionally, there is uncertainty regarding whether all counties will meet the matching funds requirement set by the state.

Training for Building Code Workers

This bill requires the State Building Code Council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees, with funding provided by both the state and counties.

What This Bill Does

Requires the State Building Code Council to give yearly training to workers who handle building permits in both state and county agencies.
The training must cover updates to building codes, practical examples of how these changes affect projects, digital tools for permit review, and best practices for giving clear feedback to applicants.
Provides $25,000 from the state budget for this training program, but each county must also provide matching funds of $6,250 per year.

Who It Names or Affects

State and county permitting agency employees who work on building codes and permits.
The State Building Code Council which will be responsible for organizing the annual training sessions.

Terms To Know

SPEED Task Force: A group established to improve the process of getting permits for construction projects in Hawaii.
Building Codes: Rules and regulations that specify minimum standards for building design, construction, and materials.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not provide details on how the training will be delivered or what specific digital tools might be used.
It is unclear if all counties will meet the matching funds requirement set by the state.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the State Building Code Council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees, with funding provided by the state and a matching requirement from each county.

The State Building Code Council must now provide annual training for state and county permitting agency employees.
Training includes guidance on changes to building codes, practical application examples, digital tool usage, and best practices for feedback.
Funding is appropriated from the general revenues of Hawaii, with each county required to match $6,250.

The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and likely needs correction in future versions of the bill.
Details on how the training will be structured or delivered are not provided beyond what is required by law.

HD2

Hawaii published version HD2

Plain English: This amendment requires the State Building Code Council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees, including plan reviewers, inspectors, and policy staff, with funding provided by the state subject to a matching requirement from the counties.

The State Building Code Council must now provide annual training for state and county permitting agency employees.
Training includes guidance on changes to building codes, practical application examples, digital tool usage, and best practices for feedback.
Counties are required to match a portion of the funding provided by the state for this training.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date mentioned (July 1, 3000) seems incorrect and likely contains an error.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

The State Building Code Council must now offer annual training for state and county permitting agency staff, including plan reviewers, inspectors, and policy staff.
Training will cover changes in building codes, practical applications of these changes, digital tools usage, and best practices for feedback to permit applicants.
Counties are required to provide matching funds of $6,250 each year for the training program.

The exact amount of state funding is not specified in the amendment text provided.

Bill History

2026-03-30 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-30 S
Reported from PSM/EIG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3229) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-23 S
The committee(s) on PSM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in PSM were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Fukunaga, Lee, C., Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Inouye.
2026-03-23 S
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, Richards, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) DeCoite ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-16 S
The committee(s) on PSM/EIG has scheduled a public hearing on 03-23-26 3:00PM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to PSM/EIG, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 330).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kong, Pierick excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 03-10-26.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1076-26) as amended in HD 2, recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-02-23 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-02-19 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-23-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-13 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Chun, Kong, Kusch excused (3).
2026-02-13 H
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 267-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-05 H
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Morikawa, Belatti, Ichiyama, Poepoe, Woodson, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Iwamoto.
2026-02-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by WAL on Thursday, 02-05-26 9:00AM in House conference room 411 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to WAL, FIN, referral sheet 3
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.
State Building Code Council; Counties; Annual Training; Building Codes; Permitting Agency Employees; Appropriation ($)
Implements certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force. Requires the State Building Code Council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees. Appropriates funds for the training, subject to a matching requirement from the counties. Effective 7/1/2055. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1964

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1964

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the state building code council
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that the
Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force was
established pursuant to Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025.
�
The SPEED task force brought together various
state and county agencies and stakeholders to address issues related to
obtaining permits for housing, infrastructure, and other projects.
�
The legislature further finds that the SPEED
task force is responsible for identifying actions taken, challenges
encountered, and legislative measures needed to facilitate, expedite, and
coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.

����
In its
initial phase, the SPEED task force split into three permitted interaction
groups, each focused on a specific, high-impact segment of the permitting
system.
�
The SPEED task force then submitted
to the legislature a December 2025 final report of the permitted interaction
groups, representing a combined report of the three permitted interaction
groups, which outlined findings regarding existing actions and persistent
challenges and presented initial recommendations for legislative and
administrative measures to improve permitting processes statewide.

����
The December
2025 final report recommends additional training and professional development for
state and county permitting agency employees as part of a key policy change to
improve the permitting process.
�
The
final report also finds that further training opportunities focused on new
building codes, digital tools, and emerging technologies could help reduce
interpretation errors and improve overall permit issuance times.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require the state building code council to
provide annual training to state and county permitting agency employees.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 107, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and
to read as follows:

����
"
�107-
�
Annual training; building codes; state and
county permitting agency employees.
�
(a)
�
In addition to the duties under section
107-24, the council shall provide annual training to state and county
permitting agency employees, including but not limited to plan reviewers,
inspectors, and policy staff.
�
The
training shall provide:

����
(1)
�
Guidance on changes made to building codes
and standards;

����
(2)
�
A practical application component,
providing employees examples of how code changes impact common projects;

����
(3)
�
An overview of how to use any digital
tools, including artificial intelligence tools, that may be available to assist
with permit intake and review; and

����
(4)
�
Best practices for providing clear,
consistent comments and feedback to applicants for permit applications.

����
(b)
�
The training shall include recorded modules
provided to all applicable state and county permitting agency employees.
"

����
SECTION
3
.
�
Section 107-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:

����
"(g)
�
The council may
, in addition to the annual
training required pursuant to section 107- ,
provide
education and technical training and administrative assistance in the form of
services or grants at the state and county levels relating to the
implementation and enforcement of the Hawaii state building codes adopted
pursuant to this part."

����
SECTION
4.
�
There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $25,000 or so much thereof
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the state building code
council to provide annual training to state and county permitting agency
employees; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless
each county provides matching funds in the sum of $6,250 per county.

����
The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the state building code council for the
purposes of this Act.

����
SECTION
5.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 6.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

State
Building Code Council; Counties; Annual Training; Building Codes; Permitting
Agency Employees; Appropriation

Description:

Implements
certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force.
�
Requires the State Building Code Council to provide
annual training to state and county permitting agency employees.
�
Appropriates funds for the training, subject
to a matching funds requirement from the counties.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.