STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3684

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2207

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Office of Planning to conduct a land use study for Hauula, Oahu, that assesses the viability and cost of maintaining the transit corridor; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Office of Planning.

Your Committee finds that climate change is the overriding challenge of the twenty-first century and one of the top priority issues of the Legislature. Your Committee further finds that eroding coastlines threaten Hawaii's assets that serve as critical infrastructure, including the State's highway system. One key piece of road infrastructure facing the challenges of climate change is the coastal highways in Hauula. The Department of Transportation has had to conduct emergency repairs along portions of the coastal highways in Hauula in April 2019, and again in January 2020. Mid-term and long-term solutions must be identified to ensure the public has access to safe, efficient, and sustainable transit corridors, such as the highways in Hauula. This measure will begin to identify climate adaptation strategy options that address the impacts of coastal erosion on coastal highways by authorizing the Office of Planning to conduct a land use study for Hauula that assess the viability and cost of maintaining its highways.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a $250,000 appropriation amount.

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 H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2207, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair