SB 66 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Summary
Establishes procedures and requirements for single-family and multi-family housing project applicants to apply for an expedited permit, including requirements for completeness of expedited permit applications, duties of licensed professionals and the counties during construction, and applications for owner-builder exemptions. Takes effect 7/1/2026. Sunsets 6/30/2031. (CD1)
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Jul 2025
Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Signed Jul 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB66_SD1 SB66_SD2 · 7 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends Hawaii's building permit process to require counties to issue permits within 60 days if applications are certified by licensed professionals, shifting code compliance responsibility from counties to designers. It also adds conditions for permit approval related to historic preservation and floodplain management. The effective date of April 23, 2057 appears to be a clerical error and should likely be 2025.
Scope change
The bill applies to all single-family and multi-family residential projects in Hawaii counties
REQUIREMENT

Requires counties to issue building permits within 60 days if applications are stamped and certified by licensed structural, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineers and architects

Shifts responsibility for code compliance from counties to design professionals and contractors

Adds two conditions for permit approval: either a qualified determination that the project won't affect historic properties or completion of the state historic preservation process

Adds floodplain management requirement: projects must either avoid Special Flood Hazard Areas or receive county floodplain management approval

TIMELINE

Establishes a 60-day maximum processing time for building permits, with automatic approval if not denied within that timeframe

Effective date listed as April 23, 2057 appears to be a clerical error and should likely be 2025

ENFORCEMENT

Clarifies that counties are not responsible for litigation related to code compliance, as that responsibility belongs to designers and contractors

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
53
Key actions
17
Committee
20
Amendments
2
Jun 6, 2025
Vetoed
Notice of intent to veto (Gov. Msg. No. 1301)
lower
Jun 6, 2025
Vetoed
Notice of Intent to veto dated 06/06/2025 (Gov. Msg. No. 1301)
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with Representative(s) Amato, Belatti, Poepoe, Shimizu, Souza voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Iwamoto, Perruso voting no (2) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1).
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none).
upper
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 78) as amended in (CD 1).
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Introduced
48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 04-30-25.
upper
Apr 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 78).
upper
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Lamosao, Tarnas, Miyake, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 2 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Gabbard; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-24-25 10:30AM; Conference Room 224.
upper
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Wednesday, 04-23-25 10:32AM in conference room 224.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Amended
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
upper
Apr 8, 2025
Introduced
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 565).
upper
Apr 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with Representative(s) Grandinetti, Shimizu voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Belatti, Iwamoto, Perruso, Poepoe voting no (4) and Representative(s) Cochran excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Takayama, Todd, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; 3 Noes: Representative(s) Belatti, Perruso, Shimizu; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
lower
Mar 21, 2025
Committee
Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Amato voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (5).
lower
Mar 21, 2025
Committee
Reported from WAL (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1488) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JHA.
lower
Mar 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on WAL recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Hashem, Lamosao, Belatti, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poepoe, Souza; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Shimizu; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Woodson.
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Committee
Reported from HSG (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1273) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to WAL.
lower
Mar 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
The committee on HSG recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Evslin, Miyake, Grandinetti, Kila, Kitagawa, La Chica, Muraoka, Pierick; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
lower
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to HSG, WAL, JHA, referral sheet 19
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Introduced
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 75) in amended form (SD 2).
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
upper
Feb 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-19-25 9:45AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
Reported from HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 561) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC.
upper
Feb 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Aquino, Kanuha, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
The committee(s) on HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-11-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
upper
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Re-Referred to HOU, JDC.
upper
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to HOU/EIG, JDC.
upper
Jan 15, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and passed First Reading.
upper
Jan 8, 2025
Introduced
Pending Introduction.
upper
5 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors