STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1011-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2108
                                     S.D. 2
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred
S.B. No. 2108, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Legislative
Auditor to coordinate the resolution of public land trust (Trust)
issues by:

     (1)  Facilitating the identification of lands, including
          their assets and natural resources, within the Trust;
          and

     (2)  Working with the Department of Land and Natural
          Resources (DLNR), the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA),
          and other state agencies in completing a comprehensive
          inventory and mapping database of all lands within the
          Trust and currently subject to section 5(f) of the
          Admission Act.

     This bill requires the Auditor to submit a progress report
to the Legislature prior to the 2001 regular session and a final
report prior to December 31, 2001.

     OHA testified in support of this bill, with amendments.
DLNR offered comments.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1011-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee finds that the scope of the public lands and
their exact identification have never been made.  Having an
accurate inventory is crucial to the successful management of the
lands, especially as the State has a trust obligation in regards
to the land and OHA, as a beneficiary, receives 20 percent of the
proceeds from the Trust.

     While in agreement with the intent of the bill to require
the Auditor to coordinate the resolution of Trust issues by
conducting this inventory, your Committee finds that numerous
issues must be resolved.  Issues include determining what lands
should be included, the purpose for conducting the inventory, and
the starting date of the inventory. OHA and DLNR need additional
time to resolve these issues.

     Your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on
Finance to review the Final Report on the Public Land Trust
(Report No. 86-17, December 1986) for comprehensive information
on the Trust and its inventory of lands.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by removing the
effective date.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B.
No. 2108, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it be
referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto
as S.B. No. 2108, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Water and Land
                                   Use,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ROMY M. CACHOLA, Chair