STAND. COM. REP. NO. 180

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 821

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 Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 821 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the State Historic Preservation Divisions' backlog of projects needing review by allowing the Division to delegate the responsibility of historic preservation project reviews to the respective counties.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Historic Hawaii Foundation, Maui Chamber of Commerce, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the review of proposed projects plays an essential role in the protection and management of the State's historic places, burial sites, and aviation artifacts by requiring agencies and offices of the State and its subdivisions to submit for review all projects that may affect historic properties to the State Historic Preservation Division in the Department of Land and Natural Resources prior to approval. Sometimes, these reviews or comments are amended, expanded, or revoked, after project developers have relied on them, leading to costly delays in important projects like affordable housing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that departmental or county reviews or comments may not be later revoked, amended, or expanded unless there is an authorized physical change to the site that would make the review or comments invalid;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 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. 821, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 821, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair