STAND. COM. REP. NO.  653

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 29

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 29 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an income tax credit for taxpayers who remove albizia trees from their real property.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaiian Electric Companies, and several individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Taxation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the amount of the tax credit to 75 percent of the costs necessary and directly incurred by the taxpayer for the removal of albizia trees from real property owned by the taxpayer;

     (2)  Defining "certified arborist"; and

     (3)  Changing its effective date to January 28, 2081, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 29, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 29, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair