REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL SERVICES TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF CREATING AN OFFICE OF THE STATE ARCHITECT.

SCR37

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

37

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of accounting and general
services to conduct a study o
n
the
costs and benefits of creatin
g
an
office of the state architect
.

����
WHEREAS, the
design review and approval process for state construction projects would
benefit from centralization under
a
single
authority; and

����
WHEREAS, a
single agency dedicated to
reviewing
state construction projects for
compliance with applicable building
codes and construction standards

would
streamline
the design review process
and
safeguard the public against unsafe construction; and

����
WHEREAS, a
centralized agency
headed by an architect
licensed in the State, having general charge and oversight of the design review
of all
state construction projects
,
would
promote consistency in
design and
predictability
throughout
the project
life cycle; now, therefore,

����
BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the
Department of Accounting and General Services is requested to conduct a study o
n
the costs and benefits of creating within
the Department
an
Office of the
State Architect
headed by a full-time
State Architect having general charge and oversight of the design review of all
state construction projects;
and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED
that the study is requested to
include an analysis of:

����
(1)
�
The
costs and benefits of requiring the State Architect to:

����
����
(A)
�
Review
all plans, drawings, specifications, and any other documents necessary for
state construction projects;

����
����
(B)
�
Ensure
project conformance with all applicable building codes and county, national, or
international prescriptive construction standards, including construction,
electrical, energy conservation, plumbing, and sidewalk standards;

����
����
(C)
�
Issue
design approvals for traditional design‑bid-build state construction
projects awarded by competitive sealed bidding pursuant to section 103D
‑
302,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, before the projects commence; provided that no design
approvals shall be required for design-build projects, as defined in section
103D-104, Hawaii Revised Statutes, or public-private partnership projects; and

����
����
(D)
�
Assign
an inspector to each state construction project to observe the work of
construction; and

����
(
2
)
�
The costs and benefits of employing or
contracting with qualified architects and engineers, without regard to chapter
76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to carry out the duties and
responsibilities of the Office of the State Architect;

����
(
3
)
�
The costs of all design review services to be performed
by the Office of the State Architect for state agencies and the reasonable amount
of fees to be charged to state agencies to defray the cost of processing design
approvals; and

����
(4)
�
The
costs of e
stablishing one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) State Architect
position
and

any
additional
full-time equivalent
positions
within the Office of the State Architect necessary to implement and
administer the Office
; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED
that the Department of
Accounting and General Service
s
is

requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations,
including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty
days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 202
7
; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that
a
certified cop
y
of this Concurrent Resolution be
transmitted to the Comptroller.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

DAGS;
Office of the State Architect; State Architect; State Construction Projects;
Design Approvals; Design Review;
Study;
Costs
and Benefits