Real Estate Bills After 2nd Crossover

Thursday, April 16 was the deadline for bills to clear either the state House or the state Senate for them to have a chance of passage during the legislative session. With the deadline comes the passage of a bill to repeal a law passed last year requiring building and home owners to submit, at their expense, archival-quality, black-and-white print photos of all buildings and homes 50 years or older to the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) before the structure could be altered or demolished.

Bills relating to the Mortgage Rescue Fraud Prevent Act and point-of-sale/utility bills have been sent to conference committee.
 

Government Affairs Update

April 17, 2009

THIS WEEK AT THE LEGISLATURE...

Thursday, April 16, 2009 is Second Crossover at the Hawai‘i State Legislature.

Second Crossover is the last day for bills to receive a third reading in the receiving body (e.g., a bill that had three readings in the House, and crossed over to the Senate, must have its third and final reading on April 16). If a bill makes it through both bodies, it is either sent to a joint conference of House and Senate members to resolve version conflicts or it is transmitted to the Governor for consideration.

See which bills made Second crossover by clicking the below links:

Senate

House

HIGHLIGHTED BILLS

H.B. 520 Historic Preservation Act (Strongly Support)

Repeals the amendments made by Act 228, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, which require the taking of archival photographs before conducting any demolition, construction, or alteration of any building over fifty years old or any building listed, or eligible for listing, on the Hawaii or National Register of Historic Places.

Enacted as Act 4, 2009 Session Laws of Hawai‘i.

S.B. 34 Mortgage Rescue Fraud Prevention Act (Strongly Support)

Excludes licensed real estate brokers and salespersons from the definition of distressed property consultants in the Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act. Prohibits real estate licensees from acquiring an ownership interest in a distressed property they have listed for up to two years.

Going to Conference Committee.

S.B. 1173 Point of Sale; Utility Bills (Oppose section of bill)

The bill currently specifies that property owners and lessors shall provide utility bills for the most recent three-month period in which the property was occupied prior to sale or lease, and allowing an exemption if the property has no utility accounts associated with it.

Going to Conference Committee.