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. 917, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is amend the nominating committee for the Commission on Water Resource Management by removing one committee member to be appointed by the Governor and adding one committee member to be appointed by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, as the agency charged with the betterment of native Hawaiians, needs to be able to contribute to the State's management of water resources.

Based upon the testimony of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, with the concurrence of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, your Committee has amended this measure to reinstate the number of members appointed by the Governor to two members. The fifth member of the Commission on Water Resource Management will still be appointed by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The odd number of members will also serve the purpose of avoiding tie votes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 917, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 917, S.D. 2.