STAND. COM. REP. NO.  894-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2510

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to continue the study by the University of Hawaii (UH) on the State's environmental review process, including developing a strategy for modernizing Hawaii's environmental review system.

     The Conservation Council for Hawaii, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Audubon Society, and The Nature Conservancy testified in support of this bill.  The Office of Environmental Quality Control opposed this measure.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, UH-Manoa, Environmental Center, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Coalition of Hawaii Engineering & Architectural Professionals, and the Legislative Reference Bureau offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation section;

(2)  Inserting a defective date of July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair