Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2524 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to promote a fair and meaningful review of business or development-related permit, license, or approval applications by prohibiting the automatic approval of permits when there is a lack of quorum, tie vote, or other vote with less than a majority of the approving authority present.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Mayor of Hawaii County, the Planning Department of the County of Hawaii, and Sierra Club, Hawai'i Chapter testified in support of this bill. The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii opposed the measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2524, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2524, H.D. 1.