House committee advances disaster‑recovery permit exemption, youth fines repeal and other measures; bribery bill deferred

The House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs advanced a series of bills March 20, 2025, moving most measures out of committee with technical amendments or companion changes while deferring a bribery proposal for further review.

The committee voted to advance Senate Bill 1296 SD2 HD1 with amendments to extend an exemption allowing reconstruction of lawfully constructed structures damaged or destroyed in a gubernatorial state of emergency or a federal disaster declaration to proceed without certain special management area permits. The committee chair proposed deleting language that had excluded shoreline parcels; that amendment drew recorded “with reservations” votes from several members but passed with the committee recommendation adopted.

Why it matters: supporters said the measure would speed rebuilding after disasters such as the Lahaina fires and reduce permit delays for property owners seeking to reconstruct in the wake of an emergency. As Jeff Wiocha of Front Street Recovery testified, “it will help to expedite the rebuild of Front Street and other areas of Lahaina.” Opponents and some members urged caution about exempting shoreline parcels given future coastal hazards.

Key details and debate: - Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) summarized the bill and said the draft gives five years from the governor’s proclamation for reconstruction to occur under the exemption. - The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the measure and deferred to OPSD on the primary jurisdictional questions. - County and recovery representatives from Maui urged passage to streamline rebuilds; several written testimonies supported the bill while commenters asked for shoreline parcel inclusion or exclusion depending on circumstances.

The committee also voted to move SB 1028 SD1 HD1, a broad measure to prohibit assessing most fees and fines against people for offenses committed while minors and to discharge related pre‑effective‑date obligations. Testimony from juvenile defense, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the ACLU of Hawaii, Debt Free Justice Hawaii, and other advocates emphasized racial and economic disparities and cited federal guidance. Darcyle Forrester of the Office of the Public Defender said the measure is “part of a national campaign to eliminate fines and fees for youth.” The Department of the Attorney General submitted comments about possible title‑and‑scope issues and offered to work with the committee; advocates cited case law to argue the title is sufficient.

Other notable measures the committee advanced with technical or clarifying amendments: - SB 292 SD1 HD1 (safe harbor for survivors of sex trafficking): supported by Office of Hawaiian Affairs and prosecutorial offices; committee changed the effective date and moved the measure to conference. - SB 295 SD1 HD1 (domestic abuse protective orders): the committee revised language to treat violations of related temporary restraining orders under the same case number as prior violations of an order for protection and added technical clarifications. Prosecutors and domestic‑violence service agencies supported stronger enforcement; the public defender’s family‑court supervisor warned mandatory minimum jail time could have unintended consequences for non‑intimate‑partner incidents and urged judicial flexibility. - SB 951 SD2 HD1 (child‑abuse reporting and notification to military authorities): the Defense State Liaison Office, Department of Defense representatives, and the Department of Human Services supported statutory alignment to improve coordination and service provision for military families. - SB 1231 SD1 (parentage): the committee adopted multiple drafting changes requested by the attorney general and others, clarifying terms (for example, replacing “functional parent” with “presumed parent”) and adding cross‑references; the committee moved the bill forward with amendments while excluding a more contentious “article 9” for future work. - SB 1413 SD1 HD1 (Hawaii Public Housing Authority): advanced with technical amendments clarifying that the authority may sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of abandoned or seized property in federal public housing projects and adding consistent wording. - SB 1341 (energy industry information reporting): the committee moved the bill as written to add the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security as authorized recipients of energy data; John Chin of the Hawaii State Energy Office said the data is critical during emergencies to determine fuel volumes available on island. - SB 1008 HD1 (accessible parking and electric vehicle spaces): Disability and Communication Access Board testimony supported authorizing counties to adopt and enforce design standards; the committee moved the bill as is.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation outcomes): - SB 1296 SD2 HD1 (disaster recovery; SMA exemptions) — recommendation adopted with amendments (chair aye; several members recorded as voting with reservations). See committee record for per‑member votes. - SB 1413 SD1 HD1 (HPHA: abandoned/seized property) — recommendation adopted with technical amendments. - SB 31 SD2 HD1 (discriminatory restrictive covenants) — recommendation adopted with amendments clarifying protected classes and constitutional citation. - SB 1341 (energy information reporting) — recommendation adopted as is. - SB 1008 HD1 (accessible parking design enforcement / EV spaces) — recommendation adopted as is. - SB 1028 SD1 HD1 (youth fees and fines; elimination of most juvenile fines/fees) — recommendation adopted with technical amendments (multiple cross‑references and clarifications on reimbursements and costs). - SB 292 SD1 HD1 (safe harbor for survivors of sex trafficking) — recommendation adopted with the bill moved to conference and an amended effective date. - SB 295 SD1 HD1 (domestic abuse protective orders) — recommendation adopted with amendments clarifying treatment of temporary restraining orders and technical edits. - SB 951 SD2 HD1 (child protection; military notification) — recommendation adopted with technical amendments. - SB 1382 (assault on National Guard member) — recommendation adopted as is. - SB 102 SD2 HD1 (third‑party restaurant reservation services) — recommendation adopted with technical edits. - SB 1051 SD1 HD1 (designate September as Hawaiian History Month) — recommendation adopted as is. - SB 112 SD2 (police reports; privacy of family members) — recommendation adopted as is (committee chair noted the bill provides additional protections beyond OIP guidance); two members recorded no votes. - SB 283 SD1 (bribery) — deferred for further consideration after new testimony from public defenders and review of current statutes and penalties. - SB 1231 SD1 (parentage) — recommendation adopted with multiple AG‑requested and technical amendments; the committee did not include the draft “article 9” language at this time.

What comes next: most advanced bills will be transmitted to the next legislative steps (floor or conference) per the committee recommendations. The committee chair said technical and style amendments will be made where noted. The committee adjourned after completing decision making for the 2 p.m. agenda.

Speakers quoted or cited in this summary include OPSD staff, Michael Kane (Department of Land and Natural Resources), Jordan Hart (County of Maui), Jeff Wiocha (Front Street Recovery), Ted Kefalas (Grassroot Institute of Hawaii), Hakim Wansafi (Hawaii Public Housing Authority), Darcyle Forrester (Office of the Public Defender), McKenna Woodward (Office of Hawaiian Affairs), John Chin (Hawaii State Energy Office), Brian Mick (Disability and Communication Access Board staff), Brig. Gen. Ross (Hawaii National Guard), Daniel Hugo (Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office), Kelli Mae Douglas (Defense State Liaison Office), Tonia Mahi (Department of Human Services), Kat Brady (Community Alliance on Prisons), Cameron Clark (Debt Free Justice Hawaii), Nathan Lee (ACLU of Hawaii) and others as recorded in the committee transcript.

Ending: The committee’s actions reflect a priority on disaster‑recovery speed, juvenile debt relief, survivor protections, and enforcement clarifications for protective orders and accessibility standards. Several bills were advanced with chair‑recommended drafting fixes; one high‑profile measure on bribery was deferred for additional consideration.