STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2776

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2866

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2866 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO AQUATIC RESOURCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow the Department of Land and Natural Resources to use aquatic in-lieu fee mitigation as a form of compensatory mitigation for aquatic habitats or resources.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii; and two concerned individuals.

Your Committee finds that in-lieu fee mitigation is a widely used and an effective compensatory mitigation mechanism.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2866, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2866, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair