STAND. COM. REP. NO. 264

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1385

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 1385 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KANEOHE BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to update statutes regarding the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council. Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide administrative support to the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council;

(2) Requires that the chairperson be selected by the members on an annual and rotating basis; and

(3) Requires the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council to meet quarterly.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Ko‘olau Foundation, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council (Council) was established in 1993 and is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, although the Department does not provide administrative support to the Council. The Council is charged with a variety of functions, including facilitating the implementation of the Kaneohe Bay Master Plan, as it relates to ocean use activities, and productive interaction between users of the Bay and the general public in order to develop a common vision and make recommendations for public policy related to Kaneohe Bay.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1385, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1385, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

________________________________

KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair