STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3478

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 155
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 155 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF
     LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS
     REGARDING HAWAII'S COMMERCIAL BOATING AND OCEAN RECREATION
     INDUSTRY MADE BY THE SMALL BUSINESS TASK FORCE ON REGULATORY
     RELIEF,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of
Land and Natural Resources to implement the recommendations
regarding Hawaii's commercial boating and ocean recreation
industry made by the Small Business Task Force on Regulatory
Relief.

     In addition, this measure:

     (1)  Requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources
          to replace commercial fishing permits with licenses
          that are registered annually;

     (2)  Requests the Small Business Regulatory Review Board to
          convey the complaints and concerns identified by
          members of the boating industry in the final report of
          the Small Business Task Force on Regulatory Relief to
          the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

 
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     (3)  Requests the Department of Land and Natural Resources
          to:

          (A)  Respond to the complaints and concerns identified
               by members of the boating industry in the final
               report of the Small Business Task Force;

          (B)  Make specific recommendations to create
               consistency in fees, rules, and requirements;

          (C)  Explain or justify overlapping fees; and

     (4)  Requests the Auditor to:

          (A)  Investigate existing boating facilities
               management, operations, and standards; and

          (B)  Assess the feasibility of transferring the
               Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation from the
               Department of Land and Natural Resources to the
               Department of Transportation.

     The Small Business Task Force on Regulatory Relief found
that Hawaii's commercial boating industry is being constrained by
the manner in which it is being regulated.  Because of burdensome
administrative rules, the State has hamstrung commercial boating
to the point that continued growth and vitality is threatened.
The commercial boating industry is heavily burdened by increased
and sometimes overlapping fees charged by the Department of Land
and Natural Resources; and commercial boat operators perceive a
lack of consistency in fees, permit standards, and contract
requirements from year-to-year, facility-to-facility, and for
varying jurisdictions.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 155,
and recommends its adoption.


 
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                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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