STAND. COM. REP. NO. 322-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2512

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2512 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to delegate to qualified archaeologists employed by the counties the authority to perform reviews of proposed projects under the State Historic Preservation Program, under certain conditions;

(2) Deem proposed projects to be approved if the archaeological review is not completed within a certain time frame; and

(3) Grant challenges to the archaeological reviews expedited hearings before the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one member of the Maui County Council and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Honua Consulting. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Society for Hawaiian Archaeology.

Your Committee finds that because of the existing backlog of projects to be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Division, many affordable housing projects are delayed. Your Committee believes this measure will reduce those delays by allowing the State Historic Preservation Division to contract out archaeological reviews to qualified archaeologists employed by the counties, and by granting challenges to archaeological reviews expedited hearings before the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2512, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2512, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair