CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 181

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2017

RE:    H.B. No. 839

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 839, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to provide accountability and transparency with respect to certain funds and expenditures of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.  Specifically, the measure requires the Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' (DLNR) Special Land and Development Fund and Land Conservation Fund; to review contracts, grants, and memoranda of understanding involving those funds; and to conduct an accounting of expenditures related to the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress (IUCN).  This measure also appropriates funds to the Auditor to conduct audits and accounting and hire personnel.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the audit shall consider compliance with applicable law and qualifications of contractors and awardees;

     (2)  Deleting language requiring an accounting of IUCN expenditures;

     (3)  Appropriating $100,000 for the purposes of conducting the audit, and deleting provisions requiring that the appropriations be used for specific positions;

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2017; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 839, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 839, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair	____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE Co-Chair
____________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN Co-Chair	____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN Co-Chair
____________________________ BRICKWOOD GALUTERIA Co-Chair