House committee approves working group to study landlord-tenant code, narrows scope to match Senate bill

The House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce voted Thursday to pass SCR 123 SD1 with amendments to create a judiciary-convened working group to study landlord-tenant issues, narrowing the group's scope to align with Senate Bill 822 and making conforming amendments.

The measure directs the judiciary to convene a working group “to research landlord tenant issues specific to increasing the supply of rental housing and improving landlord tenant interactions,” the committee record says. The committee adopted a house draft 1 that incorporates amendments proposed by the judiciary and Hawaii Realtors to limit the working group’s scope to match SB 822.

Mana Moriarty, executive director of the Office of Consumer Protection at the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, told the committee the agency had asked in written testimony that the measure be deferred but said it was not opposed to a working group. “We were on record as asking to defer this measure, but we're not opposed to the idea of a working group,” Moriarty said. She told members she would defer to the legislature on how to compose the group and noted that minority voices could still pursue other legislative vehicles if they lacked majority support within the working group: "I'll defer to the legislature on the composition, you know, balancing out the interests involved," Moriarty said.

Lindsey Garcia of Hawaii Realtors testified in favor of the measure. "We stand in strong support of this measure, and we ask for your, support in passing it through," Garcia said.

During discussion, one committee member urged the draft include language explicitly requiring balanced representation of tenant and landlord interests to build community credibility. Committee members then moved to decision making and adopted the vice chair's recommendation to pass the measure with the amendments described above.

The committee recorded the following votes: Chair (aye), Vice Chair (aye), Rep. Kang (aye), Rep. Martin (aye), Rep. Tam (aye), Rep. Uemoto (with reservations). Representatives Illegon, Pichiyama, Lowen and Buric were recorded as excused. The committee announced the vice chair's recommendation was adopted.

The judiciary is named in the measure as the convener of the working group; the committee file and adopted draft align the group's scope with provisions of Senate Bill 822. The measure does not specify the exact membership roster, required voting rules for the working group, or any funding or timelines; committee discussion included a recommendation that the legislature consider explicitly balancing tenant and landlord representation.