STAND. COM. REP. NO. 119

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1237

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 1237 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A GREEN USER FEE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a Green User Fee Program to collect user fees for certain parks in the State;

(2) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop a mobile application for the Green User Fee Program;

(3) Exempt certain individuals from the Green User Fee Program; and

(4) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Trust for Public Land, Resources Legacy Fund, Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, and seven individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, The Nature Conservancy, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that with the ever-increasing number of visitors to the State, innovative methods to protect the State's invaluable natural resources are needed. Your Committee further finds that one such method is through a green user fee program that puts the onus of funding restoration and preservation efforts on those who heavily use the natural resources. This measure provides a transformative opportunity to protect the State's natural resources for present and future generations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1237, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1237, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

SEAN QUINLAN, Chair