STAND. COM. REP. NO.  252

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1170

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1170 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow for the lease of public lands for geothermal use without public auction and to provide clarity and consistency in the statutory provisions relating to the regulation of mineral resources under chapters 171 and 182, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The Department of Business, Economic Development, & Tourism and the Department of Land and Natural Resources testified in support of this measure.  A concerned individual provided comments.  

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     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. 1170, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1170, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair