STAND. COM. REP. NO. 885

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 921

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 921, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a division within the Department of the Attorney General to provide legal advice regarding Hawaiian shoreline public access rights and make an appropriation.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees find that government agencies are obligated to properly apply law relating to Hawaiian shoreline public access rights on matters relevant to the agency's executive and administrative decision-making authority. Your Committees further find that in order to properly apply such law, government agencies must have an understanding of the scope of public access shoreline rights. This measure will provide the Department of the Attorney General with the necessary resources relating to native Hawaiian traditional and cultural rights to ensure proper application of laws relating to Hawaiian shoreline public access rights.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of March 15, 2094, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 921, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 921, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair