Government Affairs Update
March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20 was another deadline, whereby bills must be passed out to the final committee for one final hearing before second crossover. The Legislature now has until Thursday, April 3 to hear the bills before the they debate on which versions and amendments to approve, either the House or Senate versions.
Refer to the testimonies section to see which bills are still alive and which are no longer viable for passage.
THIS WEEK
SB644, SD3, HD2 Mandatory Solar Devices on New Single-Family
HAR commented on a bill that requires the installation of solar heating devices in new single-family residences. Although HAR believes in the intent, making it a mandate at this juncture would push home ownership out of the reach of many Hawaii residents. It would put up another roadblock in the already tight housing market. A slower market means less supply, and the demand for affordable homes in Hawaii is at a crisis level.
A better alternative than taxing potential homeowners out of the housing market and slowing the supply of housing is to develop incentives that will encourage the use of green technologies in residential developments.
The final House amendment passed with tax credit amendments but kept intact the mandate for newly constructed single-family homes.
SB2783, SD2, HD1 Natural Disaster Relief Program
HAR testified on a proposed draft that required the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) to develop a comprehensive natural disaster impact zones analysis for the state of Hawaii. In addition, the insurance commissioner was required to develop a plan to convert the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund (HHRF) into a natural disaster relief program.
The final House amendment that passed kept intact loss mitigation funding from the HHRF but also establishes a comprehensive natural disaster hazard mapping for the State of Hawaii and requires the insurance commissioner to report on the feasibility of converting the HHRF program into a natural disaster relief program.
HCR120/HR102 REALTORS Promote the Principles of Universal Design
HAR testified by informing the committee that Realtors do not have the knowledge or expertise to develop standards and to meet the requirements set forth in the resolution such as designating a symbol, to be include within the listing of a property, which would indicate whether a property satisfied standards for determining whether a property has incorporated universal design principles.
HAR recommended that the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) was in a better position to provide assistance in this area. The Hawaii Disability and Access Board was also present to inform the committee that they have materials and resources available on the principles of universal design.
REALTORS PAC
When an interest group, REALTORS, gets directly involved within the political process at the Legislature, a PAC is sometimes created. The REALTOR PAC receives and raises contributions and on behalf of the constituents, makes donations to political campaigns.
With the PAC, HAR allows more families to join the ranks of homeownership, eliminates burdensome regulations inhibiting environmental quality and healthy real estate markets, and sees the best interest of the real estate industry.
Luckily, you have a PAC on your side.. The Realtors Political Action Committee met this week and is working on election strategies and tasks for the busy months ahead.
For the most current and detailed information on bills, go to http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov for bill status and descriptions.