STAND. COM. REP. NO.  647

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 599

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 599 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committee, is to make a technical amendment to the state goals of the Hawaii State Planning Act.

     For the purpose of a public hearing on this bill, your Committee circulated a Proposed H.B. No. 599 H.D. 1 (Proposed Draft), and notified the public that it would be accepting testimony on the Proposed Draft, which amends the Hawaii State Planning Act to:

(1)  Prioritize the availability of more rental and market for sale affordable housing for extremely low-, very low-, lower-, moderate-, and above moderate-income segments of Hawaii's population;

(2)  Require lead state agencies to periodically update the State's functional plans, which define and implement state planning goals, objectives, policies, and priority guidelines; and

(3)  Designate the advisory committee established for each functional plan as temporary and amend the nomination process for its county members.

The Office of Planning supported the Proposed Draft.

     Your Committee considered the merits of both H.D. No. 599, as received by your Committee, and the Proposed Draft, and upon careful consideration, adopted the Proposed Draft with the following amendments:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 599, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 599, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair