Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Higher Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 131 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to convene a task force to make recommendations on the appropriate lease rent for the Mauna Kea summit lands.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The University of Hawaii submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee finds that the Mauna Kea summit land is ceded land and part of the public land trust. The Mauna Kea summit land is also home to advance technology telescopes owned by the world's leading astronomy institutions and universities. The issue has arisen as to the amount of lease rent that should be paid for use of the Mauna Kea summit land, as currently no fee, other than a percentage of observatory time for the University of Hawaii Astronomy Institute, is being charged. Your Committee further finds that a task force is necessary to bring all of the parties together to confer and cooperate to reach a mutually agreeable solution to this issue.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 131 and recommend that it be referred to the Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Government Operations.