STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1252-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2441

      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 Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 2441 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to expedite project delivery and save time and money on state highway projects by requiring county councils to exempt, by resolution, the Department of Transportation (DOT) from the requirements of county subdivision regulations for acquisition of lands for state highway projects.  

     DOT, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu testified in opposition to this measure.

     The current highway project delivery process used by DOT is lengthy, involving long-range planning processes, prolonged environmental studies, public notice and input requirements, and legislative approvals for both the concept and budget of each project.  In addition, the State Highways Division of DOT must also meet requirements of a county subdivision approval process, including applications, fees, tax clearances, and responses to numerous reviewing agencies, and requiring owners to sign-off on subdivision applications prior to the completion of negotiations, and the filing of comprehensive and separate subdivision maps for each owner.  This duplicative process has lengthened the highway project delivery process, putting projects at risk of lapsing state and federal funds.  Your Committee finds that this measure will make the highway delivery process more efficient and will allow DOT to provide necessary infrastructure in a more timely manner.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 S.B. No. 2441, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2441, H.D. 1, 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