STAND. COM. REP. NO.  90

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 416

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 416 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AIRPORTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to expedite needed safety and customer service improvements at Hawaii's airports by exempting structures and improvements to land used for airport purposes from:

     (1)  Special management area permitting requirements; and

     (2)  Approval of county agencies.

     Airlines Committee of Hawaii, Hawaii Fueling Facilities Corporation, United Airlines, and Catrala-Hawaii testified in support of this bill.  The Chair of the Maui County Council opposed this measure.  The Department of Transportation submitted comments.

     Unlike Honolulu International Airport, all neighbor island airports require county approval for construction projects, regardless of whether these are minor or major projects.  Your Committee notes that the permitting process for the special management areas that encompass these airports is lengthy and often results in significant delays in improvements to many of the airport facilities.  Elimination of county approval requirements for structures and improvements to land used for airport purposes will result in more expeditious upgrades and improvements to neighbor island airport facilities.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 416 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair