SB 2189: HHFDC; Board of Directors; Membership; Chairperson; Eligibility
- Session Year: 2025-2026
- House: Senate
- Latest Version Date: 2026-03-06
Current Status:
Failed
(2026-03-12: Referred to HSG/ECD, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 17)
Introduced
In Committee
First Chamber
In Committee
Second Chamber
Final Decking
Enacted
What does this bill do?
Changes who can serve as chair of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation board by removing the rule that the chair must be a public member and lifting the ban on certain officials (the director of business, economic development, and tourism; the director of finance; and the governor’s representative) serving as chair. It affects members of the HHFDC Board of Directors.
The summary is provided by generative AI which can make mistakes. For original language, please view the details in the table below.
Repeals requirement that the Chairperson of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member. Repeals the prohibition on certain members of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
Repeals requirement that Chairperson of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member. Repeals prohibition on certain members of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2189 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 201H-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b)
The board of directors shall select a chairperson and vice chairperson
from among its members[; provided that the chairperson shall be a public
member. The director of business,
economic development, and tourism, director of finance, and the governor's
representative shall be ineligible to serve as chairperson of the board]."
SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on March 22, 2075.
Report Title:
HHFDC; Board of Directors; Membership; Chairperson; Eligibility
Description:
Repeals requirement that the Chairperson of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member. Repeals the prohibition on certain members of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson. Effective 3/22/2075. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2189 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 201H-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b)
The board of directors shall select a chairperson and vice chairperson
from among its members[; provided that the chairperson shall be a public
member. The director of business,
economic development, and tourism, director of finance, and the governor's
representative shall be ineligible to serve as chairperson of the board]."
SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
_____________________________ |
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Report Title:
HHFDC; Board of Directors; Membership; Chairperson; Eligibility
Description:
Repeals requirement that Chairperson of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member. Repeals prohibition on certain members of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
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Date
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Status
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| Mar 12, 2026 | Referred to HSG/ECD, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 17 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Pass First Reading |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 191) in amended form (SD 1). |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 22; Aye(s) with reservations: none. Noes, 3 (Senator(s) Awa, DeCorte, Fevella). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 48 Hrs. Notice 03-10-26. |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3061) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). |
| Feb 27, 2026 | 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, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) Awa; and 0 Excused: none. |
| Feb 23, 2026 | The committee(s) on JDC will hold a public decision making on 02-27-26 10:30AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference. |
| Feb 13, 2026 | Report adopted; Passed Second Reading and referred to JDC. |
| Feb 13, 2026 | Reported from HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2266) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading and referral to JDC. |
| Feb 3, 2026 | The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in HOU were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Elefante; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Rhoads, Fevella. |
| Jan 29, 2026 | The committee(s) on HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 02-03-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference. |
| Jan 26, 2026 | Referred to HOU, JDC. |
| Jan 21, 2026 | Introduced and passed First Reading. |
| Jan 14, 2026 | Pending Introduction. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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| Mar 10, 2026 | Third Reading | Senate Floor |
Passed |
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| Feb 27, 2026 | The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS | Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary |
Passed |
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| Feb 3, 2026 | The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED | Senate Standing Committee on Housing |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3061
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2189
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2026
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2189 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Repeal the requirement that the Chairperson of Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member; and
(2) Repeal the prohibition on certain members of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.
Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) is designed to prioritize affordability in the State's housing and rental markets. Your Committee further finds that the statutory requirements for HHFDC's Board of Directors currently restricts who can serve in leadership roles within the Board. Therefore, this measure authorizes necessary diversification within the Board and furthers HHFDC's mission to provide affordable housing to the State's residents.
Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of March 22, 2075, to encourage further discussion.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2189, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2189, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,
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________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2266
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2189
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2026
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2189 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Repeal the requirement that the Chairperson of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors be a public member; and
(2) Repeal the prohibition on certain members of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation Board of Directors from serving as Chairperson.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.
Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) makes major financial decisions, such as awarding $299,224,078 in Rental Housing Revolving Fund loans in their 2025 funding around. Given the importance of these funding decisions, transparency and accountability in HHFDC's decision-making processes are essential. Your Committee further finds that application scores for HHFDC-supported projects are never made public, nor are decisions accompanied by any public explanation as to why some projects with low scores get awarded funds while others with high scores are not awarded funds. Additionally, some applicants have argued that seventy-five percent of state housing finance agencies have less discretion than HHFDC and ninety percent of state housing finance agency directors have less discretion than HHFDC.
Accordingly, your Committee finds that the HHFDC Board of Directors serves a critical purpose to help the State meet the housing needs of its residents. However, existing statutory provisions prohibit certain members from serving in leadership roles on the HHFDC Board of Directors. This was initially intended to ensure that the Board would be community-oriented and responsive to the needs of the State's residents. However, amending existing statutory provisions to allow certain ex officio board members to be eligible to serve as Chairperson will allow for additional perspectives to lead the Board while maintaining the legislative intent that the Board prioritize the needs of local communities. Therefore, this measure diversifies the leadership of the HHFDC Board to ensure accountability in carrying out its critical duties while retaining the existing composition of the Board.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2189 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,
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________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair |
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Date
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Testimony PDF
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| Feb 27, 2026 | SB2189_TESTIMONY_JDC_02-27-26_.PDF |
| Feb 3, 2026 | SB2189_TESTIMONY_HOU_02-03-26_.PDF |
Discussed in Hearing
36SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Judiciary
27SEC
Senate Standing Committee on Housing
Bill Author
