CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 182

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

 

RE:    H.B. No. 637

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE BUILDING CODES,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expedite the review, updating, and adoption of appropriate updates to the state building codes, to increase the supply of freshwater in the State.  Specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Requires the Department of Accounting and General Services (Department) to adopt rules related to certain state building codes no later than two years after the adoption of the codes by the State Building Code Council (Council);

 

     (2)  Specifies that the state building codes shall become interim building codes for state building construction if the Department does not adopt rules within the specified two-year time period; and

 

     (3)  Authorizes the use of private funding during fiscal year 2017-2018 to provide assistance to the Council to conduct public hearings and develop administrative rules.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Appropriating $60,000 for each year of fiscal biennium 2017-2019 to the Council to carry out its duties, including hiring one full-time equivalent position to effectuate this measure; provided that for fiscal year 2017-2018 a dollar for dollar match from private sources is required; and

 

     (2)  Deleting language requiring the Council to adopt codes or standards at least once every six years, and based upon a review and evaluation of the utility of the code or standard at the time each respective edition is published;

 

     (3)  Requiring the Council to adopt a code or standard within two years of its official publication date and specifying that if the Council does not review and adopt a code or standard within the two-year time period, that code or standard shall automatically become part of the Hawaii state building code until superseded by the adoption of an amended version of the code or standard by the Council;

 

     (4)  Deleting the requirement that the Council review and adopt, as appropriate, new model building codes within eighteen months of the official publication date;

 

     (5)  Deleting the provisions that the state building codes shall become interim building codes for the design of all state building construction if the Department does not adopt rules within the specified two-year time period;

 

     (6)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2017; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 637, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA

Chair

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE

Co-Chair

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI

Co-Chair

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

TY J.K. CULLEN

Co-Chair

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI

Co-Chair