STAND. COM. REP. NO.  341-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1617

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

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

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF REMNANTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of remnant for purposes of public land disposition by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to limit the types of public land that the Department may sell without recourse to public auction or legislative oversight.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; The Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club; and many individuals.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony in opposition.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the Department must consider the  current and future development potential of land and adhere to the State Constitution's mandate to conserve and protect natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations when designating a parcel of land as a remnant;

 

     (2)  Specifying that land determined by the Attorney General to present a significant and unavoidable risk of liability to the State may be considered for designation as a remnant;

 

     (3)  Prohibiting the designation of culturally significant land as a remnant;

 

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (5)  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 that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1617, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1617, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair