STAND. COM. REP. NO. 585

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1215

       S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 1215, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to create a task force under the University of Hawai‘i Kapiolani Community College to conduct a study of the feasibility of transferring certain lands currently under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to Kapiolani Community College for a legacy center for the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team (100th/442nd RCT).

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the University of Hawai‘i System, and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Veterans Club.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Diamond Head Citizens Advisory Committee and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that a proposed legacy center for the 100th/442nd RCT would promote the story of the 100th/442nd RCT and preserve a mounting collection of historical material including photographs, letters, documents, publications, artifacts, audio‑visual material, and wartime memorabilia.  The center would also serve as a focus for the presentation of the archived materials as an educational resource for students, teachers, researchers, authors, and the general public.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding language to require the task force to consider alternative sites for the legacy center, including a portion of the former Canon Club, which is identified as tax map key number (1) 3-1-42:011, and which is currently leased to the University of Hawai‘i and identified for addition to the Diamond Head State Monument under Executive Order No. 3918;

     (2)  Deleting language that would have required the task force to consider issues relating to the effects of the center on a certain subsurface water tunnel, costs to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and sharing of property between the University of Hawai‘i and the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 S.B. No. 1215, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1215, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair