STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2254

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2151

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2151 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REVOCABLE PERMITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to obtain approval from the Board of Land and Natural Resources before taking action on a revocable permit; and

(2) Prohibit any action that would result in tenant eviction from being taken on a renewed revocable permit before the year of renewal or during the renewed year.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Land and Natural Resources' revocable permit program grants business entities permission to occupy and utilize Department lands on a short-term basis. However, the request and renewal process is unclear to current and prospective entities as existing law lacks specific guidance, which may contribute to tenant eviction. This measure will provide a safeguard for tenants by limiting the discretion of the Department of Land and Natural Resources by placing restrictions on when and how the Department may evict a tenant.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2151, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2151, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair