House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs advances DHHL, housing, education, biosecurity and wildfire bills; committee records votes

The House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs on Feb. 11 advanced a slate of bills touching Hawaiian Home Lands, housing finance, school impact fees, public‑school Hawaiian‑language education, biosecurity, agricultural crime and wildfire planning, recording committee recommendations and several member reservations.

Why it matters: the committee’s actions shape what reaches the Finance Committee and the House floor. The measures affect funding and land use for beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), tax treatment and fees tied to affordable housing, processes for school planning, protections for educators, efforts to prevent biological invasions and a multiyear effort to implement wildfire risk‑reduction recommendations stemming from the 2023 Maui fires.

Most consequential items - Department of Hawaiian Homelands funding and policy: The committee advanced multiple DHHL bills, including the extension and reauthorization of the Act 279 special fund and tax exemptions for DHHL developments. Holly Watson, Director of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, told the committee the agency “has over 29,000 on our wait list” and described the need for continued funding and financing tools to move projects toward construction.

- Geothermal exploration on Hawaiian home lands: The committee moved forward HB1307 (see separate article) after an extended hearing that included dozens of community speakers opposing geothermal drilling on homestead lands and DHHL staff describing a validation process intended to inform possible private‑industry development. The committee added an amendment and specifically recorded that DHHL must comply with chapter 343 environmental review and conduct beneficiary consultation prior to development decisions.

- Housing finance and workforce housing tools: The panel advanced measures to allow DHHL to use the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund as collateral to secure better financing terms for vertical construction (HB1408) and a program to pay for permanent deed restrictions to preserve local workforce housing (HB739). The Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corporation and housing advocates urged the committee to adopt those tools to protect local households.

- School impact fees and Hawaiian‑language education: The Department of Education and the School Facilities Authority commented on HB1088 (exempting DHHL projects from school impact fees). DOE and SFA officials asked the committee for more data about past fee transfers and how exempting DHHL projects would affect school capacity funding. The committee also advanced HB1496 to create a complex‑area superintendent for Ka Papahāna Kaiapuni (Hawaiian‑language medium) schools and to reserve at least one at‑large Board of Education seat for a proficient Hawaiian‑language educator, practitioner or scholar.

- Education worker safety and eviction mediation: HB616 (safety of educational workers) was advanced with amendments after testimony from current and former educators describing harassment and threats; the committee adopted Attorney General‑recommended revisions. HB1433 (eviction mediation) was advanced with an amendment standardizing scheduling and completion timelines used during prior pandemic-era mediation programs (the committee set a 30‑day target as consistent with successful early‑mediation pilots and asked that rent‑relief availability be considered alongside mediation).

- Biosecurity and agriculture: The committee advanced HB427, renaming the Department of Agriculture to include “Biosecurity” in its title and expanding tools and positions to detect and intercept invasive species. Farm Bureau, the Department of Agriculture and invasive‑species councils urged the panel to increase inspection and treatment capacity. Separately HB498, establishing an Agricultural Crimes Council and a related enforcement fund, was advanced with technical revisions and with questions about how investigation powers would be structured and coordinated with existing law enforcement resources.

- Wildfire preparedness and the State Fire Marshal: The committee advanced HB1064 implementing portions of the Fire Safety Research Institute Phase 3 recommendations. The bill would expand the State Fire Marshal’s capacity and require more consistent statewide data and hazard mapping to guide mitigation and community outreach. Committee members asked for additional work on statutory placement and administrative reporting lines while moving the measure forward to Finance.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendations and recorded member notes) - HB606 (DHHL — Act 279 extension/appropriation): Committee recommendation adopted (recorded ayes by Chair Tarnas, Vice Chair Poipoi and additional members; Representatives Cochran and Hashem excused). - HB1086 (GET exemption for DHHL developments): Committee recommendation adopted (no recorded no votes; Representatives Cochran and Hashem excused). - HB1307 (DHHL geothermal exploration — $20M request): Committee recommended passage with HD2 technical amendments and a standing‑committee expectation that DHHL comply with chapter 343 environmental review and conduct beneficiary consultation; recorded reservations by Representatives Peruso and Shimizu and a “no vote” recorded as not cast by Representative Garcia; recommendation adopted. - HB1408 (allow DERF as collateral for portfolio loans): Committee recommendation adopted. - HB1088 (school impact fee exemption for DHHL developments): Committee recommendation adopted; DOE asked DHHL to provide historic fee and site‑transfer data for Finance consideration (committee noted DOE, SFA concerns about impact on school facility funding). - HB1496 (Ka Papahāna Kaiapuni program): Committee moved the bill with amendments to require at least one proficient Hawaiian‑language educator, practitioner or scholar for the at‑large BOE seat and to authorize a Hawaiian‑language complex‑area superintendent; recommendation adopted. - HB616 (safety of educational workers): Committee moved the bill with AG‑recommended edits; recommendation adopted. - HB329 (School Facilities Authority role clarification): Committee moved with SFA technical clarifications; recommendation adopted. - HB739 (Kamaʻāina Homes deed‑restriction program): Committee moved with technical and taxation department suggested clarifications; recorded reservations (Representative Garcia) and others noted concerns; recommendation adopted. - HB745 (state building codes update): Committee moved the bill as is with several recorded member reservations so the Finance Committee could address late executive branch concerns; recommendation adopted with recorded reservations. - HB1433 (eviction mediation): Committee moved the bill with amendment standardizing mediation timelines (30‑day completion target); recommendation adopted. - HB1449 (plant‑care components; plant inspection/treatment): Committee moved with department‑requested clarifications; recommendation adopted. - HB427 (biosecurity / Department of Agriculture name change and authority expansions): Committee moved with a single technical change to avoid conflict with existing provisions; recommendation adopted with a recorded reservation from Representative Garcia. - HB498 (agricultural crimes council): Committee moved with suggested corrections to cross‑references and AG/DOE/DOJ comments; recommendation adopted. - HB1064 (fire marshal and wildfire hazard mapping, Phase 3 recommendations): Committee moved with extensive drafting amendments and a request for additional executive branch comments; recommendation adopted.

What’s next: Most advanced bills will go next to Finance for budgetary review or to the full House committees identified in each measure. Committee members flagged requests (DHHL to provide fee and site‑transfer details for school impact fees; Department of Agriculture to provide position cost estimates; and state agencies to return with implementation details for wildfire hazard mapping).