HI HB1967

Requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop a permitting workforce pipeline in partnership with the University of Hawaii and community colleges to recruit new state and county permitting agency employees

Mandates tuition incentives for college students who enter permitting jobs, which may include tuition reimbursement, loan repayment, or post-service loan forgiveness with clear service commitments

Directs coordination with state and county permitting agencies to develop classification levels for permit technicians and plan reviewers, competitive salary and benefit scales comparable to the private sector, and emergency hiring processes

Implements recommendations from the SPEED (Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development) Task Force established under Act 133, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, which identified understaffing as a major cause of permit backlogs

Appropriates an unspecified amount from general revenues for fiscal year 2026-2027 to implement the workforce pipeline program