STAND. COM. REP. NO. 710

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1183

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water & Land and Labor & Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 1183 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PARKS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt parking lot operations at state parks and operation of concessions at certain state parks from the bidding requirements for concessions operated on public property.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hui Maka‘āinana o Makana, and one individual.

Your Committees find that many state parks are considered "hot spots" by visitors due to the sites' popularity, which may result in overcrowding and a negative experience for residents and visitors. To address these issues, the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of State Parks has developed several management tools, which have been effective in reversing decades of overcrowding, abuse of natural resources, and negative impacts to the surrounding residential communities. Exempting parking lot operations at state parks from the bidding requirements for concessions operated on public property will allow for long-term management partnerships to be enacted through community and place-based nonprofit organizations and ensure that the State's natural resources are responsibly managed and maintained.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Labor & Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1183, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1183, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Labor & Government Operations,

____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair