STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1037-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 570

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 570, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of "historic property" under the Historic Preservation Law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, one member of the Honolulu City Council, and Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

Your Committee finds that the existing definition of "historic property" has created a backlog of reviews for properties simply due to the age of the properties. This measure, by specifying that historic properties meet the criteria for entry into the Hawaii Register of Historic Places, will narrow the focus for the administration of the Historic Preservation Law to properties of greater historic significance rather than based simply on their age.

Your Committee has amended this measure by further amending the definition of "historic property" to mean any building, structure, object, district, area, or site, including heiau and underwater site, that is over one hundred years old, or any building, structure, district, area, or site that is over fifty years old and that meets the criteria for being entered into the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

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 S.B. No. 570, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 570, S.D. 1, 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