CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 144

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2019

 

RE:    H.B. No. 543

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

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. 543, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING,"

 

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 ensure the continued availability of affordable rental housing, including the Front Street Apartments project and Leialii affordable housing project, on Maui by:

 

(1)  Requiring the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to initiate negotiations or exercise its power of eminent domain to acquire the leased fee or fee simple interest in the Front Street Apartments on Maui; and

 

(2)  Extending the deadline to complete the Leialii affordable housing project on Maui.

 

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Removing the requirement for HHFDC to initiate negotiations or exercise its power of eminent domain to acquire the fee interest in the Front Street Apartments;

 

(2)  Amending Act 150, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, to not require the initiation of condemnation proceedings if HHFDC renegotiates the Front Street Apartments ground lease or a new ground lease for Front Street Apartments is issued on terms acceptable to HHFDC;

 

(3)  Deleting the authorization for HHFDC to partner with private for-profit or nonprofit developers for the acquisition of the Front Street Apartments project;

 

(4)  Deleting an unspecified general fund appropriation;

 

(5)  Appropriating $37,000,000, with a budget proviso, for fiscal year 2019-2020 to expedite and complete the construction of Leialii affordable housing project, and deleting the appropriation made in Act 150 for the same purpose;

 

(6)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2019; and

 

(7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 543, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 543, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

STANLEY CHANG

Chair

 

____________________________

TOM BROWER

Co-Chair

____________________________

KARL RHOADS

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE

Co-Chair

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

TY J.K. CULLEN

Co-Chair