STAND. COM. REP. NO. 219

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 510

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 Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 510 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Department), in consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, to delegate the responsibility for historic preservation project reviews to the impacted counties; and

(2) Allow the Department to establish a program to certify third-party individuals and organizations to review documents for completeness and compliance prior to submission of those documents to the Department.

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

Your Committees find that the current demand for construction of housing and critical infrastructure has caused an unacceptably large backlog of projects waiting for State Historic Preservation Division review. According to testimony received by your Committees, Hawaii is unique in reserving the responsibility of historic preservation reviews to the State. In every other state, many of these reviews would be subject to scrutiny at the county or municipal level. Your Committees further find that the qualified third-party reviewers established by this measure will significantly reduce the submission of incomplete and noncompliant permit documentation, thereby decreasing the backlog and delays to permit reviews.

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 Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 510, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 510, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair