Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2796 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to permanently exempt the sport fish special fund from the central service fees and administrative fees, and to delete unnecessary or duplicative language regarding license requirements and fees and the disposition of revenues collected from commercial marine activities fees.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that these exemptions are required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under federal law, and that failure to provide these exemptions could result in the loss of $2,000,000 in federal funds. In addition, the measure will clarify the fees that will continue to be deposited into the commercial fisheries special fund.

Your Committee is supportive of these efforts to bring Hawaii law into compliance with federal requirements and the clarification of current law.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2796 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.