STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2433

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2937

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Energy, to which was referred S.B. No. 2937 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Transportation to issue revocable permits for public land set aside to the Department of Transportation without prior approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Airlines Committee of Hawaii, and Airport Concessionaires Committee.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Ka Lāhui Hawai‘i Political Action Committee, and two individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

     Your Committees find that numerous parcels of public lands have been set aside specifically for airport and harbor use and placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation, which is required to obtain approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources prior to issuing revocable permits for any facilities located within airports and harbors.  Your Committees note that this approval process may cause delays and potential revenue loss; however, there are concerns that public input and comment currently afforded through the Board of Land and Natural Resources' public hearing process would be bypassed if the Department of Transportation were to issue revocable permits without prior Board approval.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the authority the Board of Land and Natural Resources has over issuing permits when such permits pertain to revocable permits for public land set aside to the Department of Transportation;

     (2)  Inserting a sunset date of July 1, 2021;

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Energy that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2937, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2937, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Energy,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair