STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2619

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2829

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2829 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PLANNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Office of Planning to review and propose updates to the Hawaii State Planning Act.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Office of Planning, and Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii State Planning Act was enacted in 1978 for the purpose of improving the State's planning process and guiding future development.  It has been over thirty years since the Hawaii State Planning Act was reviewed.  The world has undergone significant economic, technological, and social changes since the last review.  Accordingly, your Committee believes that it is necessary to revisit and review the Hawaii State Planning Act so the State can best prepare for further development in the twenty-first century.

     Your Committee notes that this measure appropriates $150,000, as requested by the Office of Planning, for reviewing, analyzing, reporting, and proposing updates to the Hawaii State Planning Act.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2017-2018;

(2)  Changing the appropriation from $150,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(3)  Changing the effective date 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. 2829, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2829, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair