STAND. COM. REP. NO.  375-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3173

      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 Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 3173 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GROUNDED VESSELS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to minimize damage to the natural resources of Hawaii and prevent navigational hazards by authorizing the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to remove a grounded vessel under its control by any means necessary, rather than require DLNR to direct the vessel to a safer location.

     DLNR, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and several concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The Ocean Tourism Coalition supported this measure with amendments.

     To balance the interests of DLNR to expediently remove a grounded vessel and the vessel owner's interest in removing the grounded vessel at the least cost possible, your Committee has amended this bill by giving DLNR control over grounded vessels only after the vessel owner has been given an opportunity to remove the grounded vessel. 

     Technical, nonsubstantive amendments have also been made for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3173, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3173, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair