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Hawaii IBEW and other testifiers urge caution as Senate panel defers bill to centralize state building codes
Summary
Testifiers including IBEW Local 1260 told a Senate committee that SB1540 could let counties diminish state minimum building standards; the committee deferred the bill indefinitely to allow further stakeholder talks while the State Building Code Council remains suspended.
The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs paused action on SB1540, a bill that would make the most recent Hawaii state building codes adopted by the State Building Code Council supersede county codes beginning Jan. 1, 2028, and would restrict counties from adopting their own minimum standards without prior council approval.
The bill was deferred indefinitely after testifiers raised concerns that the measure, as drafted, could allow counties to weaken statewide minimum codes and to “circumvent” state fire-safety standards.
Why it matters: SB1540 would change the balance between state and county authority over building codes. Testimony in committee warned the change could create uneven safety standards across counties and complicate the implementation of evolving national fire-code standards, including mandatory retrofit timelines for older buildings.
Who spoke - Kika Bukowski, testifying on behalf of IBEW Local 1260, opposed the bill as written and offered proposed amendments. - Ted Kayafis, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and Damien Vaikaloa, representing YIMBY, were listed as supporters in committee registration. - Council member Felicia Colton registered support. - Senator Fukunaga questioned witnesses about outreach to county fire departments and implementation of recent county and state fire-code updates.
Testimony and committee discussion IBEW Local 1260 witness Kika Bukowski told the committee the bill “eliminates 107-728,” and removes a statutory subsection that has been used to prevent counties from diminishing state law. Bukowski said the bill could allow counties to “undermine or circumvent state building codes,” including the state fire code and sprinkler requirements if a county chose to do so. Bukowski said his union had proposed amendments intended to preserve minimum standards while streamlining processes.
Bukowski also told the committee his organization had been in consultation with county building officials and present and former State Building Code Council members; he said the council’s current suspension has created “considerable chaos within the industry,” affecting designers, builders and trades whose licensing is tied to published codes.
The committee deferred the measure indefinitely to allow more time for county, fire department and industry consultation. Committee members cited the suspension of the State Building Code Council and said they wanted additional input before deciding whether to centralize code updates at the state level.
Ending: The committee did not adopt amendments during the session and instead chose to hold the measure to permit further stakeholder discussions and technical drafting.
