Joint conference committees approve several housing and finance measures, including $10M appropriation and $300M bond authority

Joint House and Senate conference committees met April 23, 2025, in Conference Room 224 and adopted conference drafts on a slate of housing and finance measures after brief procedural discussion and roll-call votes.

The committees approved conference drafts for several measures affecting housing finance and programs. Notable outcomes included a $10,000,000 general‑fund appropriation for public housing rehabilitation (SB 65, CD1), an amendment authorizing the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to “utilize revenue bonds” when obtaining a line of credit or other instrument up to $300,000,000 (HB 529, HD1, SD1, CD1), an extension of the Kupuna (elder) rent supplement sunset to June 30, 2028 (HB 703, HD1, SD1, CD1), and amendments affecting public housing reporting and the public housing special fund (SB 576, CD1) and affordable‑homeownership financing for CDFIs (SB 572, CD1).

Why it matters: the actions move multiple conference drafts toward final enactment and allocate or authorize funding mechanisms that state housing agencies use to finance repairs, rehabilitation and lending. The $10 million appropriation in SB 65 is a direct general‑fund appropriation for rehabilitation, while HB 529’s change and the $300 million figure would expand HHFDC’s ability to use revenue bonds as a credit instrument for bond volume recycling programs.

What the committees did

- SB 12‑63 (historic preservation) — The conference draft (CD1) was adopted with a clean effective date (07/01/2025) and technical edits to definitions and submission language. The committee recorded an affirmative recommendation and adopted the recommendation by roll call.

- SB 576 (financial administration; public housing special fund) — The conference draft (CD1) that amends required contents of legislative reports by PHA and HHFDC and changes the scope and allowable uses of monies in the public housing special fund was adopted. The committees confirmed FIN and WAM release prior to the vote.

- SB 572 (affordable‑homeownership revolving fund; CDFIs) — The CD1 expanding allowable uses of the revolving fund to include financing that CDFIs can use as matching funds was adopted after confirmation of WAM release.

- SB 65 (housing rehabilitation) — The CD1 includes an appropriation of $10,000,000 in general funds for fiscal years 2026–27 for HPHA rehabilitation, remodeling, renovation and repair of housing units. The conference draft was adopted.

- HB 529, HD1, SD1 (state finances; HHFDC bond volume recycling) — The proposed CD1 revised language to permit HHFDC to “utilize revenue bonds when obtaining a line of credit or other instrument of indebtedness,” filled the blank with $300,000,000, and set the effective date upon approval. The CD1 was adopted following confirmation of WAM and FIN release.

- HB 703, HD1, SD1 (Kupuna rent supplement program) — The CD1 extends the sunset date for the state rent supplement program for Kupuna Housing to June 30, 2028, and the draft was adopted with FIN and WAM releases confirmed.

Votes at a glance

(For measures with formal recorded committee votes)

- SB 12‑63 (CD1): recommendation to pass with amendments — recommendation adopted by roll call. - SB 576 (CD1): recommendation to pass with amendments — motion adopted; FIN/WAM release confirmed. - SB 572 (CD1): recommendation to pass with amendments — motion adopted; WAM release confirmed. - SB 65 (CD1): recommendation to pass with amendments; includes $10,000,000 appropriation for FY26‑27 — motion adopted. - HB 529 (HD1, SD1, CD1): recommendation to pass with amendments; authorizes use of revenue bonds up to $300,000,000 — motion adopted. - HB 703 (HD1, SD1, CD1): recommendation to adopt CD1 extending Kupuna rent supplement sunset to 06/30/2028 — motion adopted.

Discussion and context

Most of the committee action was procedural: conferees reported agreement on conference drafts and confirmed fiscal committee releases (FIN, WAM, WHAM) before taking votes. Where text changes were described on the record, staff or conferees recited the specific drafting changes: for example, SB 12‑63’s CD1 moved the complete‑submittal definition to a different section and changed a verb from “provide” to “submit,” and HB 529’s CD1 revised language about revenue bonds and inserted the $300,000,000 figure.

No substantive floor debate about policy trade‑offs or amendments is recorded in the transcript; conferees repeatedly stated they had agreement and moved to adopt the conference drafts after verifying committee releases. Several measures were rolled over or reconvened to the next day to await finalized drafting or fiscal releases.

What’s next

Adopted conference drafts will follow normal legislative processing toward transmittal and final enrollment. For measures that depend on fiscal releases, conferees noted those releases were obtained prior to the votes reported here. Implementation steps (for example, bond issuance procedures if HB 529 proceeds) will require agency actions by HHFDC and potentially further approvals tied to financing markets and administrative rules.

Ending note

The committees closed the session after recording the votes and scheduling reconvening for several items that required finalized drafting or quorum before action.