CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 80

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 402

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 402, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LAND CONSERVATION FUND,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to provide the Department of Land and Natural Resources the necessary tools for proper stewardship of state lands by broadening the use of the Land Conservation Fund to include:

(1)  Payments of debt service on state financial instruments relating to the acquisition of interests or rights in land having value as a resource to the State; and

(2)  Acquisition of interests or rights in land having value as a resource to the State through the establishment of:

(A)  Permanent conservation easements for the preservation and protection of land for agricultural use; or

     (B)  Agricultural easements.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2007; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 402, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 402, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair	____________________________ KEN ITO, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Co-Chair
	____________________________ PONO CHONG, Co-Chair