STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2056

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 570

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 570 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, Society for Hawaiian Archaeology, Our Revolution Hawaii, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that the current definition for "historic property" merely considers the property's age of construction, which is not equivalent to its historic importance. Your Committee further finds that this definition is overly inclusive and has created a backlog of reviews for properties. This measure will allow state and county agencies and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to focus efforts on properties of greater historic significance rather than attend to all properties that are merely old.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 30, 2075, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 570, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 570, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair