STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1644-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2528

      S.D. 2

      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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2528, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PARKS ON KAUAI,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to create a dedicated funding source for the maintenance and operating costs of Kokee State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park by:

     (1)  Establishing a sub-account for these state parks within the State Parks Special Fund; and

     (2)  Providing that a certain percentage of all proceeds and user fees collected at these parks be used for the repair, maintenance, and operations of these two state parks.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the percentage of all proceeds collected from concessions, leases, and commissions, as well as other user fees, charged at or for Kokee State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park, to be deposited into the sub-account shall be 55 percent;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2008; 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 S.B. No. 2528, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2528, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair