STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3529

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 232

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 232 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO INVESTIGATE AND DEVELOP FEASIBILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION MODELS REGARDING MERGING THE LAND COURT AND REGULAR SYSTEMS, REASSIGNING THE BUREAU OF CONVEYANCES TO ANOTHER STATE DEPARTMENT, AND PRIVATIZING CERTAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE BUREAU OF CONVEYANCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to assist in addressing personnel, operational and fiscal management issues at the Bureau of Conveyances.

     Specifically, this measure requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to investigate and develop feasibility and implementation models regarding the:

     (1)  Legal and technical obstacles to combining the Land Court and regular system functions of the Bureau of Conveyances into a unified recordation system;

     (2)  Advisability of reassigning the Bureau of Conveyances from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to another department within the executive branch or the Judiciary; and

     (3)  Considerations attendant to privatizing the functions of the Bureau of Conveyances, including the nature and qualifications of a non-governmental entity suitable to accept the current functions of the Bureau of Conveyances.

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Legislative Reference Bureau and the Hawaii Government Employees Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that in light of the findings and recommendations of the Joint Senate-House Investigative Committee, which was established pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 226 (2007), there is a further need to investigate the personnel, operational, and fiscal management of the Bureau of Conveyances.  In addition, your Committee finds that studying options, like those identified in this measure, will help ensure that the Bureau of Conveyances is able to perform its duties efficiently and provide a high level of customer service to the public.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 232 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair