STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3078

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2527

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2527, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Establish the Committee on Progress of Construction Projects ("Committee") to monitor certain state construction projects and bring impediments to the attention of the relevant decision-makers;

     (2)  Require the Governor to convene a meeting of the Committee at least once during each quarter of each fiscal year; and

     (3)  Require each agency of the State to notify the Committee of certain construction projects and to cooperate fully in any review of a project by the Committee.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services.

     Your Committee finds that it is imperative that the progress of state construction projects for which at least $25,000,000 has been appropriated or special interest projects, as designated by the Governor, are monitored.  Implementation of this measure will ensure that impediments of certain state construction projects are brought to the attention of the relevant decision-makers and provide better accountability and transparency in the construction of state projects.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Governor to convene a meeting of the Committee a minimum of every two months, rather than at least once during each quarter of each fiscal year; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     Your Committee recognizes that this measure is a work in progress and that there are questions regarding feasibility and management.  Your Committee finds that these issues merit further discussion and requests that your Committee on Ways and Means further examine those issues should it consider this measure for passage.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2527, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2527, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

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DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair