STAND. COM. REP. NO. 994

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1153

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1153, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HONOLUA BAY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide for the conservation of Honolua Bay.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes the Honolua Bay Advisory Board to administer the Honolua Bay special fund and oversee the conservation of Honolua Bay;

(2) Establishes the Honolua Bay special fund;

(3) Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to include and incorporate Honolua Bay into the Division of State Parks' online reservation system;

(4) Exempts the Honolua Bay special fund from departmental administrative expense requirements; and

(5) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Hawaii State Aha Moku and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Crystal Seahorse, Ltd.; Kapalua Kai Sailing, Inc.; and two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that that establishing an advisory board to oversee the conservation of Honolua Bay will help to appropriately safeguard the bay.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the membership of the Honolua Bay Advisory Board;

(2) Clarifying the appointing authority for certain members of the advisory board;

(3) Requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to create, maintain, and operate an online reservation system to limit public access to Honolua Bay or include or incorporate Honolua Bay into the Division of State Parks' online reservation system;

(4) Clarifying that the advisory board is required to establish a permit structure for Honolua Bay that is modeled after the permit structure used for Waianapanapa State Park; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1153, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1153, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair