Committee advances bill to create interagency working group on squatting with added public defender seat

House Bill 225 to establish a task force addressing unauthorized encampments (described in testimony as relating to "squatting") moved forward from committee with amendments to streamline membership and add procedural clarifications.

Joseph Campos, deputy director of the Department of Human Services, testified the department "appreciates the intent of this measure" and asked the committee to defer to the Department of the Attorney General and other named members. Campos emphasized that outreach on public lands is ongoing but "when it becomes private lands, we do need to get owner consent."

Jerry Villanueva of the Office of the Public Defender told the committee the office supports the bill and wants a voice in seeking solutions. Margaret Leong, a deputy attorney general, recommended an internal study by the Attorney General's Office and a report instead of a broad external work group. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions also signaled support for the bill's intent.

Committee action: Chair Lisa Martin recommended passing HB 225 with amendments that (1) add the public defender to the working group; (2) streamline membership by replacing multiple legislative appointees with a single House member appointed by the speaker and a single Senate member appointed by the senate president; (3) delete two stakeholder seats to keep the group manageable; and (4) clarify that public members listed should be invited by the working-group chair. The committee adopted the recommendation.

The committee record includes written opposition from the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands and support from one individual; multiple agencies submitted written or oral comments. The chair also set the effective date in the amended draft to a distant defect date for drafting purposes.

What happens next: HB 225 advances to the next committee with the chair's recommended amendments. The bill as amended includes the public defender and narrows the working group's membership to improve manageability and ensure legal counsel participation.