HB 1712: State Building Code Council; Department of Accounting and General Services; Membership; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the state building code council was established by Act 82, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to create and implement the state building code.  The legislature further finds that health and safety considerations relating to the state building code are matters of statewide concern.

     The legislature also finds that the state building code council has struggled with limited funding and insufficient staffing since its creation.  Most members of the council are government officials who lack the required knowledge and experience, and as a result, amendments to the state building code often do not pertain to public health or safety and are adopted without analysis of financial impact; input from residential, commercial, and industrial builders; or consideration of the resulting increase in the overall cost of construction.  In addition, the law requires the state building code to be based on various codes, including the International Building Code, which is updated every three years.  This triennial updating process places significant burdens on the short-staffed state building code council.  The frequent updates also burden the staff of county building departments who spend hundreds of hours revising their respective county building codes, which, in turn, places additional burdens on the construction industry by requiring employees to learn the updated code and retrain workers.  These burdens are ultimately borne by consumers in the form of increased building costs and delays in permit processing.

     The legislature believes that increasing the number of members on the state building code council who have knowledge of the state building code will help to alleviate some of the burdens associated with the updating process.  Currently, a representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and a representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii alternate serving four-year terms on the council.  The legislature believes that, since the state building code knowledge offered by these two entities is so critical to the council's efforts, representatives of both entities should have permanent, standing memberships on the council.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to make both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent, standing members of the building code council.

     SECTION 2.  Section 107-22, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  There is established a state building code council.  The council shall be placed within the department of accounting and general services for administrative purposes only.  The council shall consist of [twelve] fifteen voting members and one nonvoting member, who shall be the comptroller or the comptroller's designee.  The council members shall serve four‑year terms.  The voting members shall include:

     (1)  One county building official from each of the four counties appointed by the mayor;

     (2)  One member representing the state fire council;

     (3)  One member representing the department of labor and industrial relations, who has significant experience in elevator safety;

     (4)  One member representing the Hawaii state energy office of the department of business, economic development, and tourism;

     (5)  One member representing the Hawaii emergency management agency, appointed by the director of Hawaii emergency management;

     (6)  One member representing the Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii;

     (7)  One member representing the American Institute of Architects, Hawaii State Council;

     (8)  One member representing the Building Industry Association of Hawaii [or the General Contractors Association of Hawaii,] who has significant experience with building codes[, with alternating four-year terms between the two organizations and the first four-year term to be served by the Building Industry Association of Hawaii; and];

     (9)  One member representing the Subcontractors' Association of Hawaii[,] who has significant experience with building codes[.];

    (10)  One member representing the General Contractors Association of Hawaii who has significant experience with building codes;

    (11)  One member representing the Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675; and

    (12)  One member representing the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

State Building Code Council; Department of Accounting and General Services; Membership; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186

Description:

Makes both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent standing members of the State Building Code Council, instead of members who alternate terms every four years.  Adds one representative of the Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675, and one representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186, as members of the State Building Code Council.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

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

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the state building code council.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the state building code council was established by Act 82, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to create and implement the state building code.  The legislature further finds that health and safety considerations relating to the state building code are matters of statewide concern.

     The legislature also finds that the state building code council has struggled with limited funding and insufficient staffing since its creation.  Most members of the council are government officials lacking the required knowledge and experience, and as a result, amendments to the state building code often do not pertain to public health or safety and are adopted without analysis of financial impact; input from residential, commercial, and industrial builders; or consideration of the resulting increase in the overall cost of construction.  In addition, the law requires the state building code to be based on various codes, including the International Building Code, which is updated every three years.  This triennial updating process places significant burdens on the short-staffed state building code council.  The frequent updates also burden the staff of county building departments who spend hundreds of hours revising their respective county building codes, which in turn places additional burdens on the construction industry by requiring employees to learn the updated code and retrain workers.  These burdens are ultimately borne by consumers in the form of increased building costs and delays in permit processing.

     The legislature believes that increasing the number of members on the state building code council who have knowledge of the state building code will help to alleviate some of the burdens associated with the updating process.  Currently, a representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and a representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii alternate serving four-year terms on the council.  The legislature believes that, since the state building code knowledge offered by these two entities is so critical to the council's efforts, representatives of both entities should have permanent, standing memberships on the council.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to make both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent, standing members of the building code council.

     SECTION 2.  Section 107-22, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  There is established a state building code council.  The council shall be placed within the department of accounting and general services for administrative purposes only.  The council shall consist of [twelve] thirteen voting members and one nonvoting member, who shall be the comptroller or the comptroller's designee.  The council members shall serve four‑year terms.  The voting members shall include:

     (1)  One county building official from each of the four counties appointed by the mayor;

     (2)  One member representing the state fire council;

     (3)  One member representing the department of labor and industrial relations, who has significant experience in elevator safety;

     (4)  One member representing the Hawaii state energy office of the department of business, economic development, and tourism;

     (5)  One member representing the Hawaii emergency management agency, appointed by the director of Hawaii emergency management;

     (6)  One member representing the Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii;

     (7)  One member representing the American Institute of Architects, Hawaii State Council;

     (8)  One member representing the Building Industry Association of Hawaii [or the General Contractors Association of Hawaii,] who has significant experience with building codes[, with alternating four-year terms between the two organizations and the first four-year term to be served by the Building Industry Association of Hawaii; and];

     (9)  One member representing the Subcontractors' Association of Hawaii, who has significant experience with building codes[.]; and

    (10)  One member representing the General Contractors Association of Hawaii who has significant experience with building codes."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

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

Report Title:

State Building Code Council; Department of Accounting and General Services; Membership; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; General Contractors Association of Hawaii

Description:

Makes both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent standing members of the State Building Code Council, instead of members who alternate terms every 4 years.

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

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  455-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2026

RE:   H.B. No. 1712

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1712 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make both the representative of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii and the representative of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii permanent standing members of the State Building Code Council, instead of members who alternate terms every four years.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Building Industry Association of Hawaii; General Contractors Association of Hawaii; PHAD - Pacific Home and Appliance Distribution; RMA Sales; Pacific Resource Partnership; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaiʻi; O'Donnell Construction, LLC; Top Priority, Inc.; D.R. Horton Hawaii; Kapolei Chamber of Commerce; and five individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the American Institute of Architects, Hawaiʻi State Council; and Plumbers and Fitters United Association Local 675.

     Your Committee finds that the Building Industry Association of Hawaii specializes in the residential code and the General Contractors Association of Hawaii specializes in the commercial code.  Your Committee further finds that this measure, which includes more building industry professionals in the development and adoption process of the Hawaii State Building Code, would help provide the Hawaii State Building Code Council with much-needed real-world information, such as the availability of materials and technologies in Hawaii, potential effects on project timelines and permitting, and actual cost of amendments.  Your Committee also finds that including the knowledge, perspective, and insight of the licensed trades on the Hawaii State Building Council is prudent.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding one representative of the Plumbers and Fitters United Association, Local 675, and one representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186, as members of the Hawaii State Building Code Council;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1712, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1712, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,