STAND. COM. REP. NO. 181-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1922

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1922 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDLIFE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Expand the Department of Land and Natural Resources' rulemaking authority to include any rule imposing restrictions or requirements deemed necessary to protect wildlife; and

(2) Expand the Board of Land and Natural Resources' authority to timely adopt, amend, or repeal certain natural resource rules by formal action at a publicly noticed meeting if the Board finds that it is necessary to implement effective and adaptive management measures in response to impacted natural resources or in light of newly available technology or data.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; ROAR; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will provide both the Department and Board of Land and Natural Resources with greater flexibility to make rules deemed necessary to protect certain wildlife and timely adopt, amend, or repeal certain natural-resource rules by formal action at a publicly noticed meeting if the Board finds that such adoption, amendment, or repeal is needed to implement effective and adaptive management measures in response to impacted natural resources or in light of newly available technology or data.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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 H.B. No. 1922, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1922, 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,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair