STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1656

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1270

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1270, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PLANNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enhance the ability of the Office of Planning to manage and coordinate a statewide geographic information and data integration program.

     Specifically, this measure clarifies the Office of Planning's role in maintaining and coordinating a statewide enterprise geographic information system.  This measure also appropriates an unspecified amount for the state geographic information system software enterprise license agreement, and a further unspecified amount for deposit into the statewide geospatial information and data integration special fund.  This measure finally appropriates an unspecified amount to the Office of the Auditor for the development of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Board of Agriculture, the State Office of Planning, the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Pacific Disaster Center.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Inserting a new part III to clarify that the Director of the Office of Planning, on the day after the 2006 general election, and any director thereafter to serve in that capacity, shall submit to the advice and consent of the Senate, and renumbering remaining parts and sections consecutively;

(2)  Inserting language to promote and encourage open and free data sharing among all government agencies; and

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 1270, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1270, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair