STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1596

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.C.R. No. 102

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 102, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF PLANNING, IN COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS AGENCIES, TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ESTABLISH A STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Office of Planning, in collaboration with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Transportation, and the appropriate county planning departments and county emergency management agencies to develop a plan to establish a state geological survey in Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Planning, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is the only State in the country without a geological survey and one of only two states never to have received federal funds to perform geological surveys. Your Committee further finds that establishing a state geological survey in Hawaii would make the State eligible to compete for applicable federal funds and provide a broader range of geological information for the public and state decision-makers to use in mitigation and management planning.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the Office of Planning has until December 1, 2022, rather than December 1, 2021, to submit information to the Legislative Reference Bureau as needed for the preparation of any proposed legislation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 102, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 102, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair