STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2789

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3121

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3121 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require legislative approval of any exchange of public land for private land by majority vote of both houses of the Legislature.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  Written comments in opposition were submitted by one individual.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that current law subjects any exchange of public land for private land to disapproval by the Legislature by two-thirds vote of either the Senate or the House of Representatives.  Your Committee believes that by requiring legislative approval rather than disapproval, this measure will require an affirmative action of the Legislature in order to approve any public land exchange.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Making a conforming amendment to section 171-50.2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to reflect the requirement of legislative approval; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date from upon approval to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     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. 3121, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3121, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair