STAND. COM. REP. NO. 285-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1671

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1671 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND STUDY BUREAU CLASSIFICATIONS AND RATINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a temporary subcommittee of the Land Use Commission to review land study bureau classifications and ratings of lands located in agricultural districts.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Land Use Commission. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Office of Information Practices, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, Supersistence, and League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the Land Study Bureau classifications and ratings for agricultural lands were completed decades ago and were based on large-scale agriculture operations, primarily for sugarcane and pineapple. Your Committee further finds that currently, there is no method to contest Land Study Bureau ratings on specific parcels of land. In some instances, the Land Study Bureau ratings have proven inaccurate or outdated.

Your Committee believes that this measure would provide a much needed mechanism for landowners to contest the Land Study Bureau rating of their land and provide significant equity in the land use process. Your Committee notes that the proposed subcommittee is intended to be a temporary, "stop-gap" measure to handle the inequities in the Land Study Bureau system until a more modern and comprehensive study can be performed and new ratings system adopted.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the subcommittee's exemption from part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes (Sunshine Law);

(2) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1671, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1671, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair