STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2249

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2906

       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 Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2906 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO APPLIED ARCHAEOLOGY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and fund an Applied Archaeology Graduate Program at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by Kamehameha Schools; Scientific Consultant Services, Inc.; and sixteen individuals.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the University of Hawai‘i System.

     Your Committees find that in Hawai‘i, we are fortunate to live in a place that is unique and boasts spectacular history found nowhere else in the world.  Such history and culture should be carefully protected and preserved to share with current and future generations residing in these islands, as well as the millions of tourists that visit the State each year.  Studies have shown that historic preservation can benefit the state economy by attracting tourists to historic sites, creating jobs, and increasing property values.  However, your Committees find, currently, there is a severe shortage of archaeologists to serve in the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Historic Preservation Unit, which has been holding up a large amount of business for the public and private industries.  This measure establishes and funds a graduate program in Applied Archaeology.  Your Committees believe that this program will help to resolve the current historic preservation crisis that has developed in our islands by developing trained archaeologists who may also develop expertise in Hawaiian archaeology. 

     Your Committees determine that, although the goal is to develop an archaeologist workforce to work in the State in critical need areas, the program should not be overly restrictive in its enrollment criteria at this time.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that enrollment in the Applied Archaeology Graduate Program shall give priority to students who work or intend to work in Hawaii in cultural resource management or other historic preservation fields; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2906, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2906, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair