STAND. COM. REP. NO. 137

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2 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 exempt, from the definition of "public lands":

(1) Lands that are set aside by the Governor to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC), and

(2) Lands that are leased to the HHFDC by other state agencies.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and one individual. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from Kūpuna for the Mo‘opuna and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committees find that the State is experiencing a severe shortage of affordable housing. According to testimony received by your Committees, only lands to which HHFDC currently holds title in its corporate capacity are excluded from the definition of "public lands". Your Committees further find that the exemption from the definition of "public lands" proposed by this measure will streamline the development of affordable housing on state land by reducing the number of approvals required from the Department of Land and Natural Resources as affordable housing projects move forward from set-aside to leasing, entitlement, financing, and development phases.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair