STAND. COM. REP. NO. 494

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 710

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Housing and Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 710 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that lands set aside to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) by the Governor or leased to HHFDC by other state agencies are exempt from the definition of "public lands".

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committees find that the State is going through a severe shortage of affordable housing. Your Committees further find that under existing law, only lands to which HHFDC holds title is exempt from the definition of "public lands"; therefore, the exemption does not take into consideration other forms of lands that HHFDC is developing. This measure would expand the exemption to include lands that the Governor has set aside to HHFDC or lands that were leased to HHFDC by another state agency, thereby expediting the development of housing on state public lands.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) As suggested by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, subjecting lands that are set aside to HHFDC by the Governor and lands that are leased to HHFDC by other state agencies to legislative approval prior to sale or gifts; and

(2) Requiring any disposition of land by HHFDC to the public to be subject to chapter 171, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 710, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 710, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Water and Land,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair

________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair