STAND. COM. REP. NO. 361

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 15

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 15 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" to require that the property meets the criteria for inclusion in the Hawaii Register of Historic Places or has important value to Native Hawaiians or other ethnic groups of the State.

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

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that there are qualities besides age that make a historical building significant. Your Committee further finds that when age alone is used to determine a property's historical value, its relationship to events and people, architectural distinction, and other valuable historic, scientific, and cultural information are overlooked. Accordingly, this measure amends the definition of "historic property" to ensure that historic properties are also valued for their importance connections to historical events and cultural practices.

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. 15 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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