Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that counties and county agencies make sound and thorough decisions on applications for county permits, licenses, and approvals by allowing counties or county agencies to adopt an ordinance that exempts the county as a whole or the county agency from the automatic permit approval law. Automatic approval occurs after government agencies fail to take timely action to grant or deny an application for a permit, license, or approval.

The County of Hawaii, Planning Department of the County of Hawaii, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, and Hawaii's Thousand Friends testified in support of this bill. The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii opposed this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.