STAND. COM. REP. NO. 169

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1352

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans, to which was referred H.B. No. 1352 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SURPLUS MILITARY LAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a surplus military land task force to plan for the remediation and restoration of, and alternative uses for, lands currently under federal ownership and control that are anticipated to be returned to the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Environmental Caucus of The Democratic Party of Hawaii and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that issues that surround renewal of the lands intended to be covered by this measure remain unresolved and it is therefore premature to form a task force. Before remediation and restoration can occur, a number of barriers must be taken into consideration, including identifying the surplus lands and any known contaminants and environmental hazards on them. It would also be helpful to gather data from various departments and agencies to better understand the circumstances surrounding these lands. Your Committee finds that it is more prudent at this time to charge certain departments with obtaining this critical information.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Eliminating the proposed task force;

(2) Requiring the Office of Planning to submit a report to the Legislature containing the following:

(A) An inventory of federally controlled state lands, to be prepared by the Department of Land and Natural Resources;

(B) Any known contaminants or environmental hazards on the inventoried lands based on past environmental studies, to be prepared by the Department of Health in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency;

(C) Input from departments and agencies on proposed alternative uses for the lands; and

(D) Its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, based on the information above;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1352, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1352, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans,

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair