Speed task force flags staffing and data needs after 2026 permitting bills advance

The Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development Speed Task Force on Wednesday reviewed results from the 2026 legislative session and urged action to turn newly passed measures into implemented improvements.

“At the beginning of the legislative session, we started with over 21 bills related to speed and permitting efforts,” said Reginald King, the task force coordinator, who briefed members on seven measures that survived the session, including HB1710, HB1721, SB2543, SB2671, SB2673, HP1618 and HP21104. King said the package covers review timelines, staffing, data standards and financing for household wastewater work.

Members applauded the bills’ progress but repeatedly warned that statutes alone will not shorten permit times without funding to hire and retain reviewers. “I am mostly concerned … that staffing is part of the problem,” said one member, who noted that some bills (notably those that create heat maps or require data collection) assume staffing and technical capacity that counties and state agencies currently lack.

Jessica Puff, administrator of the State Historic Preservation Division, described HB1710 as a three‑part bill that (1) clarifies existing review language and definitions of a complete submittal, (2) enforces SHPD timelines — she cited roughly a 95‑day total in the final draft — and (3) allows mapping to reduce unnecessary 60‑reviews in areas that are nominally insensitive to historic resources. Puff said the division will need persistent GIS and reviewer capacity to implement heat‑map approaches.

On staffing, members discussed SB2671, a pilot that authorizes differential salary payments for permitting positions in neighbor‑island counties to improve recruitment and retention. County planning officials signaled interest but cautioned that proposals will need to work within collective‑bargaining and civil‑service rules and that identifying funding sources remains the central implementation question.

SB2673, which would establish a statewide permitting data standard and require monthly publication of permit metrics by counties, drew discussion about feasibility. Leo Asen, administrator at the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD), said OPSD intends to convene counties and the state Chief Data Officer to scope a workable standard but warned that counties use different systems and next steps must be coordinated to avoid imposing expensive system upgrades.

The task force did not take formal votes on legislation at the meeting. Members agreed to form three permitted‑interaction groups (PIGs) to dig into implementation — building codes, water and wells permitting, and land‑use boundary amendments — and to use the PIGs to refine follow‑up tasks, coordinate with counties and identify resource gaps.

The task force chair said he will follow up with affected agencies and county partners to identify how much funding and what positions are required to make the bills effective and report back at the next meeting.