STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2294

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2531

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2531 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ARCHAEOLOGISTS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require licensing for archaeologists in the State and create the Board of Archaeologists.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by four individuals, and one state agency supports the intent.  One state agency and two organizations submitted comments.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by one organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees recognize the concerns raised by individual testifiers, that archaeologists working in the State need to be held to a high standard of quality, integrity, and cultural awareness.  Increased scrutiny and accountability may be necessary to achieve these ends, but it may also be possible to achieve these same goals without establishing, funding, staffing, and managing a new state board.  Your Committees find that a comprehensive review of the State's overall historic preservation program, including the management and regulatory structure and qualifications of staff, management, consultants, and professionals is necessary.  Your Committees believe this measure, as amended, is a thoughtful and deliberate approach to developing a system that ensures the historic and cultural sites of Hawaii are treated appropriately by archaeologists and other historic preservation staff.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by replacing its contents with another proposal, which:

     (1)  Revives the 2006 State Historic Preservation Division's Archaeological Working Group and expands the membership to include members designated by Kamehameha Schools, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology, and archaeologists and historic preservation staff of state, county, and federal agencies;

     (2)  Requires the expanded Working Group to compile, review, and amend the recommendations of the 2006 Working Group, with additional findings on:

          (A)  Whether a licensing or regulation system is necessary for archaeologists working in the State and if so, a proposed method of doing so;

          (B)  Developing ongoing professional development and educational opportunities for archaeologists in cooperation with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Applied Archaeology program and the Hawai‘inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge; and

          (C)  Other states' methods of licensure, permitting, professional development, certificate requirements, or other qualification practices for archaeologists; and

     (3)  Requires the Working Group to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2531, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2531, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair