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HB284 • 2026

RELATING TO HOUSING.

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Housing
Active

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

Sponsor
ALCOS, GARCIA, MATSUMOTO, MURAOKA, PIERICK, REYES ODA, SHIMIZU, WARD
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify all conditions that must be met by applications or the exact consequences of non-compliance with the new requirements.

Housing Bill to Speed Up Building Permits

This bill requires counties in Hawaii to issue building permits within sixty days if the application meets certain conditions, such as being stamped and certified by licensed engineers and architects.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets a time limit of sixty days for counties to issue building permits for housing projects.
  • Requires applications to be stamped and certified by licensed professionals before the permit process starts.
  • Specifies that if a county does not act on an application within sixty days, it is automatically approved unless there are issues with state laws or local ordinances.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Counties in Hawaii that issue building permits
  • Developers applying for housing project permits

Terms To Know

Shot Clock
A time limit set by law or regulation requiring a decision to be made within a specific period.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a permit is automatically approved due to inaction by the county.
  • It's unclear how this will impact projects that do not meet all conditions within sixty days.
  • The exact consequences for counties failing to comply with the new requirements are not detailed.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-31 H

    The committee(s) on HSG recommend(s) that the measure be deferred.

  3. 2025-01-28 H

    Bill scheduled to be heard by HSG on Friday, 01-31-25 9:15AM in House conference room 430 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

  4. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to HSG, CPC, JHA, referral sheet 1

  5. 2025-01-17 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  6. 2025-01-16 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HOUSING.
Housing; Building Permits; Shot Clock; Minority Caucus Package
Requires counties to grant building permits within sixty days if the application is stamped and certified by a licensed engineer and architect and other certain conditions are met.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB284

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

284

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to housing
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that delays in the
issuance of building permits for single-family and multi-family housing projects
create a roadblock to increasing Hawaii's housing supply and contribute to high
home prices in the State.
�
Project
approvals in Hawaii have one of the longest processing times for residential
building permits.
�
A study prepared by
the university of Hawaii economic research office in April 2022 found that, on
average, Hawaii homebuilders wait three times longer for permits than those in
other states, which drives up costs significantly and creates uncertainty,
serving as a disincentive to build new projects.
�
Furthermore, the study found that, compared
to the most regulated markets in the country, Hawaii's permit delays are almost
two times longer, meaning it can take between a year and a year and a half for
a permit to be approved.

����
Other states such as Texas and
Florida use "shot clocks" that mandate relevant county agencies issue
a decision on building permits within a certain time frame.
�
If the agency does not act on a land
development within the time limit, the permit is automatically deemed
approved.
�
The legislature finds that
implementing a "shot clock" in all of Hawaii's counties would speed
up building permit approvals and provide certainty to applicants.

����
The purpose of this Act is to
require counties to grant building permits within sixty days if the application
is stamped and certified by a licensed engineer and architect and other certain
conditions are met.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�46-
�
Building permit applications;
certification; review time limit.
�
(a)
�
For single-family and
multi-family projects in each county, a building permit shall be issued within
sixty days of an application being filed that is stamped by a duly licensed
structural, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineer and architect certifying
that all plans and specifications are in compliance with the applicable
building codes for the respective county.
�

The certification shall include a statement that adequate infrastructure
capacity is available to service the project site.
�
During the sixty-day period after the
building permit application has been submitted, the respective county shall
ensure that the project is in compliance with applicable ordinances regarding
land use, set-back, height, and site development requirements for the project
site; provided that non-compliance with any of the county's discretionary
approvals may delay the county's issuance of the building permit.
�
If a permit submitted under this section is
not approved by the county within sixty days of a complete application being
filed, it shall be deemed approved; provided that the county did not notify the
permit applicant within sixty days of a complete application being filed that
the application was not in compliance with applicable state law or county
ordinances.
�
Nothing in this section shall
be construed to allow any violation of federal, state, or county laws or rules.

����
(b)
�
A county shall not
consider an application complete until:

����
(1)
�
T
he developer submits documentation demonstrating
a reasonable and good faith determination that the project does not have the
potential to affect historic properties, archeological resources, or burial
sites; and

����
(2)
�
T
he developer submits documentation
evidencing that the proposed development does not encroach in Special Flood
Hazard Areas identified as "A" or "V" zones on the Federal
Emergency Management Agency's Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or has been reviewed
for floodplain management compliance and has been issued a development permit
for construction by the applicable community official.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Housing;
Building Permits; Shot Clock; Minority Caucus Package

Description:

Requires
counties to grant building permits within sixty days if the application is
stamped and certified by a licensed engineer and architect and other certain
conditions are met.

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