STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2579

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3298

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 3298 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SHOOTING FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a working group consisting of the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of Public Safety, and hunters and recreational shooters to determine potential locations and requirements for a shooting facility in the County of Hawaii; and

(2) Appropriate funds to establish a shooting facility in the County of Hawaii; provided that the County of Hawaii provides matching funds on a dollar-to-dollar basis.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Public Safety, Game Management Advisory Commission, Hawaii Firearms Coalition, Hawaii Sportsmen's Alliance, DC Project Hawaii, and twenty-seven individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that the establishment of a multi-use public shooting range in the County of Hawaii is needed to provide a safe and organized facility to practice firearms safety and hunting and recreational shooting skills. Law enforcement agencies will also benefit from the establishment of a shooting range in the County of Hawaii as it will provide a space to train and maintain their firearms skills at the highest level. Presently, there are hundreds of law enforcement and correctional officers in the County of Hawaii who are required to qualify for firearms and less lethal weapons on a regular basis. This measure will allow the State to provide a safe training area for the residents of the County of Hawaii by establishing a working group consisting of the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of Public Safety, and hunters and recreational shooters to determine potential locations and requirements for a shooting facility in the County of Hawaii and appropriating funds to establish a shooting facility in the County of Hawaii; provided that the County of Hawaii provides matching funds on a dollar-to-dollar basis.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3298 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Water and Land,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair