Rep. Luke Evslin

Provides the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation with autonomy in personnel matters. Increases the salary cap for the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Renames the Executive Assistant of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation the Deputy Executive Director. Prohibits the extension of any employment contract of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and Hawaii Public Housing Authority beyond two years without legislative approval. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Requires landlords or landlord's agents to accept comprehensive reusable tenant screening reports, if made available by an applicant, and prohibits application fees in such cases. Establishes remedies for refusing to accept those reports. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Clarifies that a county employee's code compliance review of plans for construction applicable to the specific engineering field is considered lawful experience in engineering work for purposes of professional engineering licensure.

Repeals the leasing restriction on owner-builders who obtain an owner-builder exemption to act as their own contractor and who build or improve residential or farm buildings or structures on property they own or lease and do not offer the buildings or structures for sale. Requires an owner or lessee to provide signed written notice that a residential structure offered for lease or sublease was built or improved by an individual who is not a licensed contractor. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Clarifies the Ninety-Nine Year Leasehold Program by: including the renting or subleasing by the owner of a residential condominium unit to any tenant or sublessee of any kind as a form of owner occupation; requiring at least sixty per cent of the residential condominium units within urban redevelopment sites to be set aside for owner-occupied residential use for at least ten years from the date of initial purchase; exempting the design, development, and construction of contracts for residential condominium units within an urban redevelopment site from procurement requirements; allowing an individual to own other real property and still qualify for the program; and allowing the sale of up to forty per cent of residential condominium units to qualified residents if there are units available after being advertised for sale for more than sixty days. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryHB 1729 would remove the state income tax deduction for mortgage interest paid on second homes. This directly affects homeowners who own vacation properties, rental properties, or additional residences beyond their primary home. The bill changes state tax law so that interest on loans for these second properties no longer reduces taxable income. It does not apply to primary residences or federal tax rules.

Specifies the conditions upon which the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation may transfer moneys from within the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to a subaccount and between subaccounts of the revolving fund. Authorizes the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to be used to provide any and all forms of financing. Expands the funding priorities of, and appropriates funds into and out of, the Mixed-Income Subaccount. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Establishes a 5-year Hawaii Builds Pilot Program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and designates projects that meet specific requirements as Hawaii Builds Pilot Projects. Authorizes the Corporation to deploy moneys from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund for predevelopment activities or as active construction equity. Requires annual reports to the Legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2031. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts operators of wing-in-ground craft (vehicles that operate close to water surfaces, such as certain hovercraft) from Hawaii's Water Carriers Act licensing requirements. It specifically defines "wing-in-ground craft" to clarify which vehicles are covered under this exemption. The change removes a regulatory burden for these operators, who were previously subject to the Act's rules for water carriers. The bill directly affects businesses or individuals operating these specialized watercraft in Hawaii.

Permanently establishes the Small Business Procurement Program and Small Business Procurement Coordinator position within the State Procurement Office. Requires purchasing agencies to apply a local preference to Hawaii businesses in evaluating contracts awarded by competitive sealed bidding or competitive sealed proposals. Establishes criteria for a Hawaii business to qualify for a local preference. Establishes procedures for contract awardees who fail to meet or maintain the preference criteria. Establishes a special fund and requires the Small Business Procurement Coordinator to establish rules and policies, effective 1/1/2029, requiring small businesses to commit to contributing 0.2 per cent of state contract awards to the special fund. Repeals the Small Business Assistance Initiative established in Act 168, SLH 2022. Appropriates funds for the Small Business Procurement Coordinator. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)