STAND. COM. REP. NO.934
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 1165
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred S.B. No. 1165, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR NATURAL RESOURCES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's unique natural resources by:
(1) Establishing administrative penalties for violations relating to the Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) and the State Endangered Species Act (ESA);
(2) Removing the maximum criminal penalty provision for violations of the State ESA; and
(3) Increasing the per-specimen fine for intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly killing a threatened or endangered species.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources and an individual testified in support of this measure. The University of Hawaii's Environmental Center offered comments.
Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substance and inserting the substance of H.B. No. 690, H.D. 2, a similar bill that passed Third Reading in the House earlier this session. As amended, this bill reduces the administrative fines for violations of the State ESA and NARS as follows:
(1) For a first violation, a fine of not more than $2,500 instead of $10,000;
(2) For a second violation, a fine of not more than $5,000 instead of $15,000; and
(3) For a third or subsequent violation, a fine of not more than $10,000 instead of $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. 1165, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1165, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land Use,
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____________________________ EZRA KANOHO, Chair |
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