STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1003-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2917
                                     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. 2917, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
     FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support water resource
management programs and activities by establishing a Water
Resource Management Fund (Fund) within the Department of Land and
Natural Resources (DLNR) under the jurisdiction of the Commission
on Water Resource Management.  This bill will allow DLNR to
utilize revenue collected pursuant to Chapter 174C, Hawaii
Revised Statutes, to go directly back toward water resource
management programs.

     DLNR, the Environmental Center of the University of Hawaii
and The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii testified in support of this
bill.

     No testimony in opposition of this bill was received.

     Your Committee finds that in order to sustain our State's
limited water resources, the State requires an ongoing source of
funds for watershed protection, ground water and surface water
monitoring, hydrologic modeling and analysis, resource
regulation, resource planning, and resource enforcement.  Since
1994, the Commission went through a budget reduction by 18%

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1003-00
                                 Page 2

 
($311,000) and a loss of two permanent staff positions.  Ninety-
three percent of the Commission's budget is funded by general
funds.  The restoration of an appropriation of $25,000 to the
Fund will provide the necessary resources for the Commission.

     Your Committee amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing language in the measure regarding payments to
          the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands under the
          Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the Office of
          Hawaiian Affairs for the use of ceded lands under the
          Admissions Act; and

     (2)  Appropriating $25,000.

     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. 2917, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2917, S.D.
2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ROMY M. CACHOLA, Chair