STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3145

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2076

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the State Historic Preservation Division, in consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to delegate to the impacted counties the responsibility for historic preservation project reviews, provided that certain requirements are met.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Minatoishi Architects and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Society for Hawaiian Archaeology.

Your Committee finds that existing law requires agencies and officers of the State and its subdivisions, prior to project approval, to submit for review all projects that may affect historic properties to the Department of Land and Natural Resources' State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD). However, due to the current demand for construction of housing and critical infrastructure, SHPD has an unacceptably large backlog of projects needing review. This measure would allow SHPD to delegate to the impacted counties the responsibility for historic preservation project reviews, provided that certain requirements are met.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of June 18, 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2076, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair