STAND. COM. REP. NO.  948-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2743

      S.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2743, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KAHO‘OLAWE ISLAND RESERVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allocate a portion of state conveyance tax revenues to the Kaho‘olawe Rehabilitation Trust Fund to be used for the long-term rehabilitation and maintenance of the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Planning of the County of Maui, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and a few individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii provided testimony in opposition to this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Budget and Finance, Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission, Ocean Tourism Coalition, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Na ‘Ao Koa ‘O Hawai‘i, and a few individuals provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Finance consider inserting an annual cap amount of $3,500,000 for conveyance tax revenues allocated to the Trust Fund.

     Your Committee notes that the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission is seeking other funds to sustain itself and believes that the federal government should provide funds to the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission as it could become a model for other island states.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2743, S.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

FAYE P. HANOHANO, Chair