CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 140-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    H.B. No. 2531

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2531, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WEST MAUI TRANSPORTATION ACCESS PLAN,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to protect the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of West Maui by requiring the Department of Transportation to develop a West Maui transportation access plan, which can serve as a model for developing plans in other areas having similar problems, such as West Kauai, Wainee, and the Kealakekua area.  Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Creates a temporary West Maui Transportation Access Plan Working Group (Working Group), within DOT, to develop and submit a plan to the Legislature prior to the regular session of 2009;

     (2)  Designates the members of the Working Group;

     (3)  Allows the Working Group to contract with a consultant to develop the plan; and

     (4)  Appropriates an unspecified amount of funds to develop the plan, including the hiring of a consultant.

     Many rural areas around Hawaii are accessible by a single roadway or highway.  One of those areas, West Maui, is only accessible through one major highway.  Closure of this highway can occur at a moment's notice due to incidents that do not rise to the level of a major emergency.  In fact, over the last couple of years, the highway has been closed for extensive periods due to wildfires in the area.  These closures have resulted in the residents of West Maui being effectively "cut off" from the rest of the island.  Developing a model plan for West Maui can serve other areas of the State that face similar problems.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Appropriating $50,000 for the Working Group to develop the plan, including the hiring of the consultant;

     (2)  Changing the effective date of the appropriation amount to July 1, 2008; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2531, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2531, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair	____________________________ JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Co-Chair
____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Co-Chair	____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair