Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a county to opt out of the automatic permit approval process by adopting an ordinance to exempt the county as a whole or any county agency from this law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawaii and the Sierra Club. The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that the automatic permit approval law was passed in an effort to improve Hawaii's business climate. However, there may be instances where automatic permit approval may have negative consequences for the public and the environment.

This measure gives the county discretion whether to require automatic permit approval or not.