SB 2908: DBEDT; Counties; Permitting; Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Pre-Compliance Intake Pilot Platform; Appropriation

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PERMITTING.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force was established pursuant to Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025.  The SPEED task force brought together various state and county agencies and stakeholders to address issues related to obtaining permits for housing, infrastructure, and other projects.  The legislature further finds that the SPEED task force is responsible for identifying actions taken, challenges encountered, and legislative measures needed to facilitate, expedite, and coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.

     In its initial phase, the SPEED task force split into three permitted interaction groups, each focused on a specific, high-impact segment of the permitting system.  The SPEED task force then submitted to the legislature a December 2025 final report of the permitted interaction groups, representing a combined report of the three permitted interaction groups, which outlined findings regarding existing actions and persistent challenges and presented initial recommendations for legislative and administrative measures to improve permitting processes statewide.

     The December 2025 final report identifies lengthy waiting times as a common issue in the permitting process and finds that applicants, staff, and the process itself share responsibility for these delays.  However, a major delay in the process occurs before state and county personnel can even begin their substantive technical review, in the form of incomplete or incorrect submissions, misrouted applications, and poor quality plans.  The final report suggests that a digital system or intake portal could be used to prevent the submission of incomplete applications and standardize data across jurisdictions.  The legislature additionally finds that some counties have already begun to implement artificial intelligence tools as part of the application screening process to reduce repetitive tasks for staff while preserving professional judgement.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require and appropriate funds for the department of business, economic development, and tourism, in collaboration with a county selected by the department, to develop an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform for that county.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall develop, in collaboration with a county selected by the department, an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform for that county.  The pilot platform shall:

     (1)  Be limited to permitting intake and projects involving single-family homes;

     (2)  Utilize artificial intelligence to support the permit intake, routing, and review process;

     (3)  Screen applications for completeness, missing documentation, and inconsistencies;

     (4)  Enforce required fields at intake;

     (5)  Validate basic parcel and zoning information;

     (6)  Route applications concurrently to all relevant county agencies;

     (7)  Offer guidance to applicants through an applicant-facing chat and frequently asked questions resources; and

     (8)  Preserve the use of in-person assistance and phone support and ensure that any use of automation or artificial intelligence enhances, rather than replaces, human service.

     (b)  The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall develop a policy or metric to measure the success of the pilot platform to determine if such platforms are suitable for adoption by all counties.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop, in collaboration with the county selected by the department pursuant to section 2(a), an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform for that county; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless the selected county provides matching funds in the sum of $          .

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

Report Title:

DBEDT; Counties; Permitting; Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Pre-Compliance Intake Pilot Platform; Appropriation

Description:

Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in collaboration with a county selected by the Department, to develop an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform, subject to a matching funds requirement for the county.  Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a policy or metric to measure the success of the pilot platform.  Effective 7/1/2050.  (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 PERMITTING.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force was established pursuant to Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025.  The SPEED task force brought together various state and county agencies and stakeholders to address issues related to obtaining permits for housing, infrastructure, and other projects.  The legislature further finds that the SPEED task force is responsible for identifying actions taken, challenges encountered, and legislative measures needed to facilitate, expedite, and coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.

     In its initial phase, the SPEED task force split into three permitted interaction groups, each focused on a specific, high‑impact segment of the permitting system.  The SPEED task force then submitted to the legislature a December 2025 final report of the permitted interaction groups, representing a combined report of the three permitted interaction groups, which outlined findings regarding existing actions and persistent challenges and presented initial recommendations for legislative and administrative measures to improve permitting processes statewide.

     The December 2025 final report identifies lengthy waiting times as a common issue in the permitting process and finds that applicants, staff, and the process itself share responsibility for these delays.  However, a major delay in the process occurs before state and county personnel can even begin their substantive technical review, in the form of incomplete or incorrect submissions, misrouted applications, and poor quality plans.  The final report suggests that a digital system or intake portal could be used to prevent the submission of incomplete applications and standardize data across jurisdictions.  The legislature additionally finds that some counties have already begun to implement artificial intelligence tools as part of the application screening process to reduce repetitive tasks for staff while preserving professional judgement.

     The final report also notes that counties currently use incompatible data standards to represent permit status, key dates, valuations, and categories, which can lead to confusion amongst contractors working in more than one county and degrade application quality.  A statewide platform that ensures consistent data, shared metrics, and public-facing information could therefore help ensure a more cohesive permitting process across jurisdictions.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform.

     SECTION 2.  The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall develop a statewide permitting intake platform.  The statewide permitting intake platform shall:

     (1)  Utilize artificial intelligence to support the permit intake, routing, and review process;

     (2)  Be shared, or at minimum interoperable, amongst counties and state permitting agencies;

     (3)  Screen applications for completeness, missing documentation, and inconsistencies;

     (4)  Enforce required fields at intake;

     (5)  Validate basic parcel and zoning information;

     (6)  Route applications concurrently to all relevant agencies;

     (7)  Offer guidance to applicants through an applicant‑facing chat and frequently asked questions resources; and

     (8)  Preserve the use of in-person assistance and phone support and ensure that any use of automation or artificial intelligence enhances, rather than replaces, human service.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $50,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform pursuant to section 2 of this Act; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless each county provides matching funds in the sum of $12,500 per county.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

Report Title:

DBEDT; Counties; Permitting; Statewide Permitting Intake Platform; Appropriation

Description:

Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform implementing certain recommendations of the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development Task Force.  Appropriates funds for the development of the platform, subject to a matching funds requirement from the counties.  Effective 7/1/2050.  (SD1)

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 permitting.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force was established pursuant to Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025.  The SPEED task force brought together various state and county agencies and stakeholders to address issues related to obtaining permits for housing, infrastructure, and other projects.  The legislature further finds that the SPEED task force is responsible for identifying actions taken, challenges encountered, and legislative measures needed to facilitate, expedite, and coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.

     In its initial phase, the SPEED task force split into three permitted interaction groups, each focused on a specific, high-impact segment of the permitting system.  The SPEED task force then submitted to the legislature a December 2025 final report of the permitted interaction groups, representing a combined report of the three permitted interaction groups, which outlined findings regarding existing actions and persistent challenges and presented initial recommendations for legislative and administrative measures to improve permitting processes statewide.

     The December 2025 final report identifies lengthy waiting times as a common issue in the permitting process and finds that applicants, staff, and the process itself share responsibility for these delays.  However, a major delay in the process occurs before state and county personnel can even begin their substantive technical review, in the form of incomplete or incorrect submissions, misrouted applications, and poor quality plans.  The final report suggests that a digital system or intake portal could be used to prevent the submission of incomplete applications and standardize data across jurisdictions.  The legislature additionally finds that some counties have already begun to implement artificial intelligence tools as part of the application screening process to reduce repetitive tasks for staff while preserving professional judgement.

     The final report also notes that counties currently use incompatible data standards to represent permit status, key dates, valuations, and categories, which can lead to confusion amongst contractors working in more than one county and degrade application quality.  A statewide platform that ensures consistent data, shared metrics, and public-facing information could therefore help ensure a more cohesive permitting process across jurisdictions.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform.

     SECTION 2.  The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall develop a statewide permitting intake platform.  The statewide permitting intake platform shall:

     (1)  Utilize artificial intelligence to support the permit intake, routing, and review process;

     (2)  Be shared, or at minimum interoperable, amongst counties and state permitting agencies;

     (3)  Screen applications for completeness, missing documentation, and inconsistencies;

     (4)  Enforce required fields at intake;

     (5)  Validate basic parcel and zoning information;

     (6)  Route applications concurrently to all relevant agencies;

     (7)  Offer guidance to applicants through an applicant-facing chat and frequently asked questions resources; and

     (8)  Preserve the use of in-person assistance and phone support and ensure that any use of automation or artificial intelligence enhances, rather than replaces, human service.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $50,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform pursuant to section 2 of this Act; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless each county provides matching funds in the sum of $12,500 per county.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

Report Title:

DBEDT; Counties; Permitting; Statewide Permitting Intake Platform; Appropriation

Description:

Implements certain recommendations of the SPEED Task Force.  Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform.  Appropriates funds for the development of the platform, subject to a matching funds requirement from the counties.

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. 2835

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:     S.B. No. 2908

        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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2908, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate, expedite, and coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.

     Specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform; and

     (2)  Appropriates $50,000 for the development of the platform, subject to a matching funds requirement of $12,500 per county.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Holomua Collaborative, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and one individual

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

     Your Committee finds that, according to a report from the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) Task Force, lengthy waiting times in the permitting process are a common issue.  Further, major delays often occur due to incorrect submissions, misrouted applications, or poor-quality plans.  Your Committee recognizes that SPEED's report suggests that a digital system or intake portal, as required and funded by this measure, could help prevent the submission of incomplete applications and standardize data across the State.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2908, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2382

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:     S.B. No. 2908

        S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2908 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMITTING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a statewide permitting intake platform implementing certain recommendations of the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development Task Force; and

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the development of the platform, subject to a matching funds requirement from the counties.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Holomua Collaborative, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and one individual.

     Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

     Your Committees find that incomplete or incorrect permitting applications frequently cause significant delays in an already time consuming process.  A centralized intake platform that initially vets permitting applications for completeness before material review would reduce unnecessary communications, allow state agencies to focus on substantive review, and create greater predictability for applicants and reviewing bodies.  This measure modernizes and streamlines the permitting process statewide to significantly improve coordination and efficiency.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     Your Committees note the concerns expressed by the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development that placing a state agency like the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism in a management role over permitting functions that are primarily regulated by counties may create significant administrative and jurisdictional friction.  Your Committees find that this issue raises concerns that merit further consideration and respectfully request that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred examine this issue.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2908, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2908, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Tourism and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs,