STAND. COM. REP. NO. 632

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1259

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 1259, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide consistency between federal and state environmental liability laws in setting forth the conditions and circumstances under which an innocent contiguous property owner or a "bona fide prospective purchaser" shall not been held liable for damages and costs related to the contamination of real property not owned or operated by the property owner or purchaser.

     This measure would promote the development and reuse of contaminated properties by providing relief to bona fide purchasers and innocent contiguous property owners from liability for hazardous substance pollution or contamination.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1259, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1259, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair