Bill > HB1967

This bill, implementing recommendations from the Simplifying Permitting for Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) task force, requires the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to create a pipeline for recruiting and training employees for permitting roles, working with the University of Hawaii and community colleges. This initiative aims to address issues like understaffing and recruitment challenges that have led to permit backlogs and slower project approvals, as identified by the SPEED task force. The department will also collaborate with state and county permitting agencies to standardize job classifications, improve salary and benefits to be competitive with the private sector, streamline hiring processes, and ensure that new employees can handle basic tasks under supervision, with funds appropriated to support these efforts.