STAND. COM. REP. NO. 579-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1974

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1974 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to protect public health and safety and support Hawaii's firefighters by transferring money from the Natural Area Reserve Fund to the Firefighter's Contingency Fund to upgrade firefighting equipment to be used jointly by the State and the counties.

The Division of Forestry and Wildlife of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Fire Council, Honolulu Fire Department, County of Hawaii Fire Department, Ho‘omana Pono, LLC, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc., and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the amount of the monies transferred to, and appropriated out of, the Firefighter's Contingency Fund to unspecified amounts; and

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1974, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1974, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair