STAND. COM. REP. NO. 893-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2479

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2479, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TAKING OF MARINE DEPOSITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the taking of sand, dead coral or coral rubble, rocks, soil, and other marine deposits seaward from the shoreline through special activity permits approved by the Department of Land and Natural Resources for research, education, management, or propagation purposes.

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

Your Committee finds that existing law prohibits the taking of sand, dead coral or coral rubble, rocks, soil, and other marine deposits seaward from the shoreline, except under certain limited circumstances, including when the taking is inadvertent or part of traditional cultural practices. This prohibition currently includes taking for research, education, management, or propagation purposes. Your Committee further finds that the existing law was intended to prohibit large-scale sand collection, and was never intended to prohibit the collection of marine deposits for research, education, management, or propagation activities. This measure is intended to address this oversight by enabling the Department of Land and Natural Resources to grant permits for the taking of sand, dead coral or coral rubble, rocks, soil, and other marine deposits for these purposes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2479, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2479, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair