STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2134

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2903

       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 Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2903 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRANSFERABILITY OF MOORING PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow a holder of a mooring permit for mooring within state small boat harbors to transfer the mooring permit to the new vessel owner under certain terms and conditions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaii Fishing and Boating Association, Fair Wind Cruises, Quicksilver Charters, and five individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from Ocean Tourism Coalition and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that there is no existing law to authorize the transfer of presently issued mooring permits by order of seniority from a waitlist.  This measure remedies the lack of transfer authority, which limits the ability of vessel owners to sell their vessels when a potential buyer does not already have a place to berth the vessel.

     Your Committee further finds that it is necessary to allow appraisals to be completed by all licensed surveyors, not just state licensed ones.

     Your Committee has thereby amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending language to allow the sale price of the vessel to be established by an appraisal from any licensed surveyor, rather than from only a state licensed surveyor; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2903, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2903, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair