STAND. COM. REP. NO.  710-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2355

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2355 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WELLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage proper land use by placing a moratorium on the issuance of permits for the construction of wells intended to serve agricultural land parcels likely to be used for "fake farms" or "gentleman estates," until the first designation of important agricultural lands is made by the Land Use Commission.

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the intent of this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported this measure with amendments.  The Hawaii Association of REALTORS opposed this bill.  The Department of Agriculture provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2355, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2355, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture,

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Chair

____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair