STAND. COM. REP. NO.975

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 664

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 664, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE SMALL BOAT HARBORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to impose greater accountability over financial activities of the Department of Land and Natural Resources with respect to small boat harbors.

In particular, this bill:

(1) Requires harbors to have a repair and maintenance system using computer technology and a timetable;

(2) Prohibits the Department and Governor from transferring money out of the small boat recreational boating special fund;

(3) Requires a special fund financial report of income and expenditures on a quarterly basis; and

(4) Requires that advisory board meetings organized by the Department be officially recorded.

Your Committee finds that small boat harbors, which are regulated by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, are subjected to a number of confusing and cumbersome administrative rules, and that user fees paid by these harbors into the boating special fund are used for maintaining boating facilities around the State without regard to each particular facility's contribution to the fund. Your Committee finds that there is a need to give small boat harbors greater control over their own resources.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Specifically allowing each small boat harbor to create a small boat recreational harbor charter by forming a board elected by the small boat harbor community, which is to be the policy making body for the charter. Policies are subject to agreement by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. The small boat recreational harbor charter board is to be composed of nine residents, each elected by a small boat harbor, and is required to report directly to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources;

(2) Deleting the requirement that prohibited the Department and Governor from transferring money out of the small boat recreational boating special fund;

(3) Specifically authorizing each small boat harbor to create a special fund;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3001, to make the bill defective in order to promote continuing discussion; and

(5) Making technical nonsubstantive changes.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 664, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 664, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair