STAND. COM. REP. NO. (5^^
Honolulu, Hawaii
APR 0 2 2025
RE: S.C.R. No. 123
S. D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which
was referred S.C.R. No. 123 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP LANDLORD-TENANT CODE
IMPROVEMENTS TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING IN HAWAII,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the
Attorney General to convene a working group to research landlord­
tenant issues specific to increasing the supply of rental housing
and improving landlord-tenant interactions.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS.
Your Committee received comments on this measure from the
Department of the Attorney General.
Your Committee finds that tenants struggling to afford making
their rental payments face uncertainty regarding their options and
available protections under existing law. Meanwhile, housing
providers who have tenants not paying rent or violating other
provisions of their rental agreements must undergo a lengthy and
time-consuming court process to seek remedy. This could
discourage property owners from offering or continuing to offer
rental housing in the future. Your Committee further finds that
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establishing a working group would be beneficial by helping to
explore possible solutions, such as early mediation and
alternative dispute resolution methods that are more accessible to
tenants. Therefore, this measure requests the establishment of a
working group to explore these issues to help the State work
towards promoting a fair and efficient conflict resolution process
between renters and housing providers.
Your Committee, however, notes concerns raised in testimony
that the topics to be researched by the working group extend
beyond the Department of the Attorney General's legal role and
areas of subject matter specialization. Amendments to this
measure are therefore necessary to ensure that the scope and
membership of the working group focus on the real estate and
financial aspects of rental housing issues.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Requesting the Judiciary, rather than the Attorney
General, to convene a working group to research
landlord-tenant issues specific to increasing the supply
of rental housing and improving landlord-tenant
interactions;
(2) Requesting the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme
Court, or their designee, to serve as chairperson of the
working group;
(3) Requesting the Executive Director of the Office of
Consumer Protection and the Attorney General, or their
designees, to serve as members of the working group;
(4) TVmending its title accordingly;
(5) Amending the list of individuals to whom certified
copies of this measure is requested to be transmitted;
and
(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
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this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of
S.C.R. No. 123, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in
the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 123, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Commerce and
Consumer Protection,
2025-2577 SCR SSCR SMA docx
 The Senate
Thirty-Third Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection
CPN
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
CFfxJ 4/l/^
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:___________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311_______________ 2310________ 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett (C)
FUKUNAGA, Carol (VC)
MCKELVEY, Angus L.K.
RICHARDS, III, Herbert M. “Tim”
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL
Recommendation:
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature:
Distribution; Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised: 12/09/24