STAND. COM. REP. NO.  644-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2594

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2594, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VII, SECTION 12, OF THE HAWAII STATE CONSTITUTION TO ASSIST DAM AND RESERVOIR OWNERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect the health and safety of Hawaii's people by proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii that would authorize the State to issue special purpose revenue bonds and use the proceeds to assist dam and reservoir owners to bring their facilities up to current safety standards.

The Department of Budget and Finance; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Ka‘u Farm Bureau; Maui Cattlemen's Association; Kahua Ranch, Ltd.; and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying the constitutional amendment question to be placed on the ballot to specify that the proceeds from the sale of the special purpose revenue bonds will be used to assist dam and reservoir owners to make their facilities compliant with current safety standards.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2594, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2594, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair