Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Resiliency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves HB 1467 HD1 with amendments; removes special fund, leaves grants vs. loans question to next committee
Summary
HB 1467 HD1, a housing-resiliency bill, was passed by the committee with amendments that delete the special-fund subsection and place funding-structure recommendations (grants versus low- or no-interest loans) in the committee report; the committee discussed federal-fund accounting and eligibility limits tied to area median income.
The House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce on Feb. 13 approved HB 1467 HD1, which aims to support housing resiliency measures such as roof fortification, with amendments that remove the bill’s special fund and ask subsequent committees to decide whether funding should be direct grants or low- and no-interest loans.
Committee Chair Matayoshi said the committee will place in the committee report a recommendation that the next committee consider whether funding for the program should be grants or low- to no-interest loans. The committee also deleted subsection (h) on page 7 and removed the proposed special fund from the bill.
Why it matters: Testimony focused on who should fund resiliency upgrades, the appropriate financing vehicle and the interaction of federal funds with state special funds and auditing requirements. The bill’s authors included eligibility language: the bill requires recipients to be low- and moderate-income households at or below 140% of area median income, according to committee testimony.
Testimony and fiscal concerns: Budget and Finance Director Luis Oliveri testified about federal-fund accounting and single-audit requirements. He said federal grants deposited into a state special fund can create single-audit compliance and transparency issues and recommended that federal funds remain in federal grant accounts rather than be commingled into a new state special fund. "By taking those federal funds and depositing it into a special fund, there is, a level of, you know, transparency that's lost as well as accountability," Oliveri said. He advised that federal grants can still be used by programs without being placed into a state special fund and that program access to federal funds would remain if funds are held separately.
Representatives and witnesses also discussed program design and whether access should be needs-based; the bill’s language was noted during the hearing to direct assistance toward households at or below 140% AMI.
Action and vote: The committee passed HB 1467 HD1 with the chair’s recommended amendments and deleted the special-fund language. Representative Pierrick was excused; no no votes were recorded. The committee placed direction in its report for the next committee to consider grants versus loans and other implementation details.
Ending: With the special fund removed and eligibility clarified in testimony, HB 1467 HD1 advances to the next committee with a directive to determine the program’s funding vehicle and further refine implementation and compliance details.
