STAND. COM. REP. NO.  198

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 1617

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources, to which was referred H.B. No. 1617 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to assist Hawaii's visitor industry and provide a means of infrastructure improvements to public lands while protecting State interests by:

     (1)  Providing for an extension of leases of public lands for commercial, hotel, resort, or industrial use to a maximum of 55 years if substantial improvements are made to the demised premises;

     (2)  Requiring that the plans and specifications for the total development being proposed be submitted to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) for review prior to a development agreement being entered into; and

     (3)  Prohibiting the commencement of construction until a sufficient bond conditioned upon the full and faithful performance of all the terms and conditions of the development agreement has been filed with BLNR.

     The Hawaii Tourism Authority testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources testified in opposition to this measure.  A concerned individual provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1617 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committees on Tourism and Economic Revitalization & Business.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources,

____________________________

JERRY L. CHANG, Chair