STAND. COM. REP. NO.  561

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 588

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 588 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR HE‘EIA NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 for the initial staff positions that are necessary to develop and manage the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve and its programs.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Planning, University of Hawaii, Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, Ko‘olau Foundation, Kako‘o Oiwi, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Community Development Authority and several individuals commented on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

     (2)  Specifying that the funds shall be appropriated from an unspecified special fund;

     (3)  Providing that contractors and other third parties who receive funds under this measure may be subject to review and inspection by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Attorney General, or the Auditor;

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     Should your Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests inserting an appropriation amount of $400,000 for the initial staff positions, to be allocated as follows:

(1)  $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) reserve manager position;

(2)  $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) education coordinator position;

(3)  $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) research coordinator position; and

(4)  $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) cultural resource coordinator position.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 588, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 588, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair