Judiciary committee clears contractor, permit, task-force repeal and e-bike measures

The Senate Committee on Judiciary spent its decision-making session moving multiple bills out of committee, approving amendments and recording committee passage on several items.

HP 420: Contractor repair and statute-of-repose changes Chair introduced H P 420 and recommended passage with amendments. The amendments clarify that the 10-year statute of repose in section 6-57-8 applies to contract, tort and statutory claims; restate standard limitation periods (2 years for torts, 6 years for contract claims); define "substantial completion" (certificate of occupancy or affidavit of publication notice of completion); require improvements be considered separately to determine applicable limitation periods; allow notices of claim to cover combinations of design, construction and remodeling defects; remove the homeowner requirement to provide an expert report with a notice of claim; set a nine-month inspection/testing window after a contractor requests inspection (unless parties agree or a court orders otherwise); limit pre-filing of lawsuits in certain circumstances; and add non-retroactivity and other technical clarifications. The committee voted to pass the measure with amendments.

HP 732: Special management area minor-permit eligibility The committee considered H P 732, which would make single-family residences under 3,500 square feet and not part of a larger development eligible for special management area minor permits and set the valuation threshold that determines permit necessity at $750,000 (adjusted for inflation on a set cadence). The Chair proposed deleting a proposed subparagraph that would broadly allow smaller homes to qualify for only a minor permit; the amendment was adopted and the measure passed.

HB 1017: Repeal of greenhouse gas sequestration task force Chair described HB 1017 as repealing the greenhouse gas sequestration task force, saying the task force "has done its work" and is no longer funded. The committee adopted an amendment to make the repeal effective upon approval and passed the bill.

HP 958: Electric bicycle rules H P 9 58 changes e-bike rules, including prohibiting individuals under 15 from riding class 3 electric bicycles and raising the helmet-age requirement from 16 to 18 in some provisions. The transportation committee chair had asked the Judiciary Committee to move the item forward; the panel recommended passage with technical amendments.

Votes at a glance - H P 420: Passed with amendments. Recorded affirmative voice votes from Chair (aye), Vice Chair (aye), Senator Chang (aye), Senator San Buenaventura (aye) and Senator Hoa (aye). Measure recorded as passed. - H P 732: Passed with amendments. Committee recorded no recorded no-votes; a member was noted as not voting. - HB 1017: Passed with amendments to make repeal effective upon approval. - H P 9 58: Passed with technical amendments.

Most of the measures were advanced on the committee’s decision-making agenda with Chair-led presentations and votes. Where the transcript lists specific statutory sections, the committee’s amendments clarified statutory wording (for example, section 6-57-8 and section 6-72-e-3-a in HP 420).