STAND. COM. REP. NO. 553

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1386

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 1386 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop, submit, and evaluate progress on a state 2030 natural resources conservation goal action plan; and

(2) Allocate one percent of the revenues of the transient accommodations tax to the Department of Land and Natural Resources in order to achieve the action plan.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Center for Biological Diversity, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, and eight individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that the protection and restoration of Hawaii's natural resources are essential to the quality of life of Hawaii's residents, culture, and economy. Your Committees find that the State is approaching a critical decade in which drastic steps must be taken to address the impacts of climate change. Your Committees therefore find it necessary to update and increase Hawaii's natural resources conservation programs to ensure maximum long-term benefit to Hawaii's environment, culture, and economy by increasing funding for the Department to reach those goals and by creating a state 2030 natural resources conservation goal action plan.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Designating that the one per cent allocation of revenues of the transient accommodations tax be deposited into the special land and development fund established pursuant to section 171-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Authorizing funds in the special land and development fund to be used for the development, submission, and evaluation of progress of the state 2030 natural resources conservation goal action plan;

(3) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1386, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1386, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair