STAND. COM. REP. NO. 837

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 933

       S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 933 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND ACQUISITIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide an appraisal procedure for land acquired by the State that is determined to have value as a resource to the State.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources offered its comments.

     Your Committee finds that this measure extends to the Board of Land and Natural Resources the right to accept appraisals of land prepared for nonprofits organizations under certain conditions.  It further allows the Board of Land and Natural Resources to contract independent appraisers to set the purchase price of land to be acquired as land having value as a resource to the State.  Further, it allows the Board of Land and Natural Resources to acquire the land at a price higher than the appraised price if the Attorney General determines the higher price is justified and within the range of market value.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive changes for 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 S.B. No. 933, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 933, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair