STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1289

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 536

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STARLIGHT RESERVE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to help preserve the quality of the night sky for its cultural, scientific, and environmental values by directing the Department of Business, Economic Development, & Tourism (DBEDT) to establish a temporary advisory committee to develop a statewide starlight reserve strategy and suggest necessary legislation including an intelligent statewide lighting law.

     DBEDT, the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Windward Ahupuaa Alliance supported this bill.  The Office of Aerospace Development provided comments.

     Your Committees note that while this bill does not contain an appropriation, a funding mechanism may be required for the effective operation of the Temporary Advisory Committee.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the composition of the Temporary Advisory Committee to:

          (A)  Specify that Directors or their designees serve as representatives from specific state departments;

          (B)  Remove representatives from the Office of Aerospace Development and Hawaii Tourism Authority;

          (C)  Include the Comptroller or the Comptroller's designee; and

          (D)  Specify that the representative from UH must be the Director of the Institute for Astronomy or the director's designee;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 536, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,

____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair

____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Chair