STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2741

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 641

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. 641 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to add the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, or the Chairperson's designee, as an ex officio, voting member of the Commission on Water Resources Management.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hoomanapono Political Action Committee, the OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Ka Lahui Hawaii Political Action Committee, and three concerned individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that adding the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission to the Commission on Water Resources Management would ensure that the State's implementation of the State Water Code properly fulfills section 174C-101(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to Native Hawaiian water rights. Your Committee believes that this measure will enable greater advocacy for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries and greater consideration of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands water rights in the Commission on Water Resources Management's decision making.

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 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. 641, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 641, 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