STAND. COM. REP. NO. 663

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 699

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 699, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish an environmental review special fund for the Office of Environmental Quality Control, in the Department of Health.

     Furthermore, this measure requires the Office of Environmental Quality Control to adopt filing fees related to environmental assessments and environmental impact statements, for deposit into the environmental review special fund.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Robert D. Harris, Director, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter; and two individuals.

     Your Committee received comments in opposition to this measure from Kalbert K. Young, Director, Department of Budget and Finance; the Department of Design and Construction, City and County of Honolulu; and the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from William J. Aila, Jr., Chairperson, Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will enable the Office of Environmental Quality Control to establish appropriate fees to cover the cost of its services.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the amounts of the new filing fees to unspecified sums; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the matter.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 699, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 699, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair