Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide emergency appropriations for the damage and destruction caused in the State by heavy rains and flooding in February and March 2006.

Your Committee finds that immediate and comprehensive aid must be provided to the victims of the heavy rains and flooding in recent months. This measure provides:

Although your Committee is retaining the appropriation for the Ka Loko Reservoir, your Committee has concerns regarding whether the State should be responsible for any inspections and repairs of dams on private property. Your Committee wants discussions to continue on this issue. Your Committee notes that the Department of Defense requested that language requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to repair the breach at Ka Loko Reservoir be changed to permissive in nature.

Your Committee also notes that it is still exploring using the state highway funds for roadway reconstruction and restoration of Roundtop Drive and whether these funds can be diverted to the City and County of Honolulu for this purpose. Your Committee further notes that the Governor may need to issue another emergency declaration to provide an adjustment to the Governor's original declaration for this emergency appropriation measure, due to the additional appropriation provisions added to this measure.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

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 H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 970, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.