HB 1968

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1968
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO PERMITTING.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
���� SECTION
1.� The legislature finds that the
Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force was
established pursuant to Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025.� The SPEED task force brought together various
state and county agencies and stakeholders to address issues related to
obtaining permits for housing, infrastructure, and other projects.� The legislature further finds that the SPEED
task force is responsible for identifying actions taken, challenges
encountered, and legislative measures needed to facilitate, expedite, and
coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes.
���� In its
initial phase, the SPEED task force split into three permitted interaction
groups, each focused on a specific, high-impact segment of the permitting
system.� The SPEED task force then
submitted to the legislature a December 2025 final report of the permitted
interaction groups, representing a combined report of the three permitted
interaction groups, which outlined findings regarding existing actions and
persistent challenges and presented initial recommendations for legislative and
administrative measures to improve permitting processes statewide.
���� The
December 2025 final report identifies lengthy waiting times as a common issue
in the permitting process and finds that applicants, staff, and the process
itself share responsibility for these delays.�
However, a major delay in the process occurs before state and county
personnel can even begin their substantive technical review, in the form of
incomplete or incorrect submissions, misrouted applications, and poor quality
plans.� The final report suggests that a
digital system or intake portal could be used to prevent the submission of
incomplete applications and standardize data across jurisdictions.� The legislature additionally finds that some
counties have already begun to implement artificial intelligence tools as part
of the application screening process to reduce repetitive tasks for staff while
preserving professional judgement.
���� Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to require and appropriate
funds for the department of business, economic development, and tourism, in
collaboration with a county selected by the department, to develop an
artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform for that
county.
���� SECTION
2.� (a)�
The department of business, economic development, and tourism shall develop,
in collaboration with a county selected by the department, an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake
pilot platform for that county.� The pilot
platform shall:
���� (1)� Be limited to permitting intake and projects
involving single-family homes;
���� (2)� Utilize artificial intelligence to support the
permit intake, routing, and review process;
���� (3)� Screen applications for completeness, missing
documentation, and inconsistencies;
���� (4)� Enforce required fields at intake;
���� (5)� Validate basic parcel and zoning information;
���� (6)� Route applications concurrently to all
relevant county agencies;
���� (7)� Offer guidance to applicants through an
applicant-facing chat and frequently asked questions resources; and
���� (8)� Preserve the use of in-person assistance and
phone support and ensure that any use of automation or artificial intelligence
enhances, rather than replaces, human service.
���� (b)� The department of business, economic
development, and tourism shall develop a policy or metric to measure the
success of the pilot platform to determine if such platforms are suitable for
adoption by all counties.
���� SECTION
3.� There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the
department of business, economic development, and tourism to develop, in
collaboration with the county selected by the department pursuant to section
2(a), an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot platform
for that county; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act
unless the selected county provides matching funds in the sum of $  .
���� The sum
appropriated shall be expended by the department of business, economic
development, and tourism for the purposes of this Act.
���� SECTION 4.� This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.
Report Title:
DBEDT;
Counties; Permitting; Artificial Intelligence-assisted Pre-compliance Intake
Pilot Platform; Appropriation
Description:
Requires
and appropriates funds for the Department of Business, Economic Development,
and Tourism, in collaboration with a county selected by the Department, to
develop an artificial intelligence-assisted pre-compliance intake pilot
platform, subject to a matching funds requirement for the county.� Requires the Department of Business, Economic
Development, and Tourism to develop a policy or metric to measure the success
of the pilot platform.� Effective
7/1/3000.� (HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.