REQUESTING THE STATE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE HAWAII STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

This bill requests the State Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the Hawaii State Building Code Council, a state agency responsible for adopting and maintaining statewide building codes. The audit will examine the Council's efficiency, its impact on regulatory consistency across counties, and whether its current structure and operations serve the public interest, particularly in light of its inactivity since September 2023. Key areas of review include the effectiveness of the three-year code update cycle, the Council's influence on construction costs and housing production, and whether counties should instead manage and fund the code adoption process. The State Auditor will consult with relevant state and county agencies, housing officials, and industry stakeholders before submitting findings and recommendations to the Legislature by early 2027.