CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 134-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    H.B. No. 2040

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2040, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER SECURITY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to increase the State's water security.  Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Establishes a two-year pilot program on developing public-private partnerships that increase water security;

     (2)  Establishes a water security advisory group to advise the Department of Land and Natural Resources on water security proposals; and

     (3)  Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources, upon the advice of the advisory group, to provide matching state funds for projects and programs that:

          (A)  Increase the recharge of groundwater resources;

          (B)  Encourage the reuse of water and reduce the use of potable water for landscaping irrigation; and

          (C)  Improve the efficiency of potable and agricultural water use.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that a designee of the Manager and Chief Engineer of the county Boards of Water Supply may be a member of the water security advisory group;

     (2)  Changing the appropriation amount to $750,000; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2016.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2040, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2040, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair	____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair
____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Co-Chair	____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Co-Chair
	____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN, Co-Chair