CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.111
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: H.B. No. 186
S.D. 1
C.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 186, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC LAND TRUST,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this bill is to facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive information system for inventorying and maintaining information about the lands of the public land trust. This bill appropriates funds for the Office of the Auditor to complete the public land trust information system (system). The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is to match the appropriations on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
The Auditor has estimated that approximately $18,500,000 are necessary to complete the system. Such level of state funding is not currently available. However, your Committee on Conference is committed to the completion of this undertaking. Accordingly, the State should proceed on an incremental basis to allow the Auditor to identify ways that meaningful progress can be made with available funds. The Auditor is also urged to consider cost cutting alternatives which would not jeopardize the integrity of the system and would provide further insights regarding the total cost of the system. These might include:
(1) Surveying a sample of state parcels;
(2) Focusing on high income generating parcels; and
(3) Identifying lower cost bidders.
Other sources of funding to finance this undertaking were also considered.
Your Committee on Conference recognizes the limited funding available. To ensure that these funds contribute meaningfully to the development of the system, it is your Committee on Conference's intent that OHA make a determination whether funds will be sufficient to produce a meaningful work product before any funds are expended.
Upon further consideration, your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:
(1) Inserting $100,000 to continue the project;
(2) Providing OHA with the flexibility to match the State's contributions at a level greater than a dollar-for-dollar basis;
(3) Extending the lapsing date of the appropriations provided in Act 125, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, which may exceed $300,000;
(4) Revising the purpose section; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of consistency.
Finally, with regard to the appropriation in Section 3, the State's obligation to this undertaking is limited to $100,000 even if OHA's contribution exceeds that amount.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 186, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 186, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
|
ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
|
____________________________ COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair |
____________________________ EZRA KANOHO, Co-Chair |
|
|
____________________________ JONATHAN CHUN, Co-Chair |
____________________________ NATHAN SUZUKI, Co-Chair |
|
|
____________________________ BOB NAKASONE, Co-Chair |