HCR 81: requesting the department of accounting and general services to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of creating an office of the state architect.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the department of accounting and general services to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of creating an office of the state architect.

     WHEREAS, the design review and approval process for state construction projects would benefit from centralization under a single authority; and

     WHEREAS, a single agency dedicated to reviewing state construction projects for compliance with applicable building codes and construction standards would streamline the design review process and safeguard the public against unsafe construction; and

     WHEREAS, a centralized agency headed by an architect licensed in the State, having general charge and oversight of the design review of all state construction projects, would promote consistency in design and predictability throughout the project life cycle; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Accounting and General Services is requested to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of creating within the Department an Office of the State Architect headed by a full-time State Architect having general charge and oversight of the design review of all state construction projects; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is requested to include an analysis of:

     (1)  The costs and benefits of requiring the State Architect to:

          (A)  Review all plans, drawings, specifications, and any other documents necessary for state construction projects;

          (B)  Ensure project conformance with all applicable building codes and county, national, or international prescriptive construction standards, including construction, electrical, energy conservation, plumbing, and sidewalk standards;

          (C)  Issue design approvals for traditional design‑bid-build state construction projects awarded by competitive sealed bidding pursuant to section 103D‑302, Hawaii Revised Statutes, before the projects commence; provided that no design approvals shall be required for design-build projects, as defined in section 103D-104, Hawaii Revised Statutes, or public-private partnership projects; and

          (D)  Assign an inspector to each state construction project to observe the work of construction; and

     (2)  The costs and benefits of employing or contracting with qualified architects and engineers, without regard to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Office of the State Architect;

     (3)  The costs of all design review services to be performed by the Office of the State Architect for state agencies and the reasonable amount of fees to be charged to state agencies to defray the cost of processing design approvals; and

     (4)  The costs of establishing one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) State Architect position and any additional full-time equivalent positions within the Office of the State Architect necessary to implement and administer the Office; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Accounting and General Services is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Comptroller.

Report Title: 

DAGS; Office of the State Architect; State Architect; State Construction Projects; Design Approvals; Design Review; Study; Costs and Benefits