STAND. COM. REP. NO. 938

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1079

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEES FOR HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to collect fees to cover the technical assistance program costs for habitat conservation plans.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; First Wind; and George Purdy.

     Your Committee finds that the number of incidental take licenses and requests for technical assistance related to habitat conservation plans have increased significantly in recent years, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources' current budget cannot meet this increase in demand without fiscal support, such as the authorization to collect fees proposed by this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date from July 1, 2030, to upon approval; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Housing,

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair