HI HB358

All public buildings, including public school buildings, constructed after January 1, 2026, must be designed to withstand category five hurricanes and serve as emergency shelters

Removes previous language that only required the State to "consider" hurricane resistant criteria for public schools, replacing it with a mandatory requirement

Changes terminology in existing law from "state buildings" to "public buildings" to broaden the scope of the requirement

Current hurricane shelter capacity in Hawaii can only hold approximately 100,000 people, while 200,000 people are expected to need shelter during a hurricane

Effective date is July 1, 3000 (placeholder date indicating the bill requires further amendment before implementation)