STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3196

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2613

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Higher Education and Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2613, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HE‘EIA NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the hiring of permanent staff positions within the University of Hawai‘i to develop and maintain He‘eia reserve and its programs.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System; Hawai‘i Community Development Authority; The Nature Conservancy, Hawai‘i; Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club; Ko‘olau Foundation; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and two individuals.

Your Committees find that in 2014, He‘eia was officially nominated as a national estuarine research reserve to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's policy to encourage expansion of the program in unrepresented areas of the country. The site, located on Oahu's windward shore, includes He‘eia state park, He‘eia fishpond, and the He‘eia community development district, as well as marine waters with patch and fringing reefs and Moku o Lo‘e (Coconut Island). In 2017, the He‘eia site was officially designated as the twenty-ninth site in the national estuarine research reserve system, which enables federal funding to support the implementation of the management plan.

Your Committees further find that the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, which is part of the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, is the lead agency for implementation of the He‘eia national estuarine research reserve system management plan. For He‘eia reserve to succeed in its function within the national estuarine research reserve system, funding for initial staffing is essential and required to keep the reserve fully functioning.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing the University of Hawai‘i as one of the state entities that may review or inspect contractors and other third parties who receive funds under this measure;

(2) Specifying that the appropriation shall be for 1.36 full-time equivalent (1.36 FTE) positions within the University of Hawai‘i to maintain the initial staff positions that are necessary to develop and manage He‘eia reserve and its programs;

(3) Inserting an effective date of December 24, 2030, 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 Higher Education and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2613, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2613, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Higher Education and Water and Land,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair