STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2984

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2955

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Taxation and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2955, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish an archaeological data survey as an online database program of the State of Hawaii Museum of Natural and Cultural History, and authorize the Museum, in consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the State Historic Preservation Division, to withhold information from the database if a disclosure may pose a threat to a site or artifact.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from Bishop Museum and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology submitted comments and recommendations for amendments.

     Your Committees previously heard and approved a similar measure, S.B. No. 2868, S.D. 1, which was subsequently approved by the Committee on Ways and Means as S.B. No. 2868, S.D. 2.

     Your Committees have deleted the content of this measure and replaced it with the content of S.B. No. 2868, S.D. 2.  As amended, this measure:

     (1)  States that the online database is accessible to the public;

     (2)  Clarifies that the information within the database may include the collections of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, publicly available materials, and materials from private entities or organizations, and that the database may include archaeological information including reports, photographs, drawings, maps, and archived documents; and

     (3)  Adds language to specify that the database may also include compilations of collections information from public and private repositories, including a description of the materials and associated documentation in each collection, a listing of the owner or owners, a general assessment of the condition of the components, and other relevant information pertaining to each collection.

     Your Committees support this measure and commend the proponents and other parties who have worked in a collaborative effort to resolve their differences and concerns in crafting this measure, as amended.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Taxation and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2955, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2955, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Taxation and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair