STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2235

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2814

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2814 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A COASTAL ZONE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish within the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, a taskforce, advisory group, and consultant team to develop a coastal zone framework-development taskforce to develop a programmatic framework for a Hawaii next generation coastal zone management program and appropriates funds.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Budget and Finance, and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that current shoreline regulatory process has become a substantial time and cost burden and obstacle to the State, counties, and private landowners. The current shoreline permit process includes the environmental assessment planning process, which is required prior to applying for federal, state, and county permit applications. Developing a framework for a Hawaii next generation coastal zone managers program will provide a sustainable jobs program for the islands' next generation of place-based coastal zone managers, and a competent cadre of place-based experts with knowledge, skills, and abilities to adequately understand the State's growing coastal zone problems amidst sea level rise caused by climate change.

However, your Committee has heard the concerns of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development that this measure as drafted may be restrictive and premature to prescribe the delivery of an electronic-permitting system. According to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, differing guidelines between federal, state, and county levels regarding permitting processes may complicate the implementation of the proposed electronic-permitting system. While the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development expressed interest in examining the potential for multi-agency collaboration, preliminary analyses must be conducted. Amendments to this measure are therefore necessary to address the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development's electronic-permitting system concerns.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring an exploratory analysis of permitting systems, including an assessment of current permitting systems in Hawaii and an investigation of their applicability;

(2) Inserting a blank appropriation amount;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2814, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2814, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair