STAND. COM. REP. NO. 694

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1385

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1385, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a framework for designating certain public lands for redevelopment;

(2) Amend generally applicable lease requirements for public lands to promote redevelopment;

(3) Designate public lands on the Waiakea Peninsula on the island of Hawaii as the Waiakea Peninsula Redevelopment District; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the Waiakea Peninsula Redevelopment District Revolving Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Kūpuna for the Mo‘opuna, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that because of the policies guiding the management of public lands with commercial, industrial, resort, hotel, apartment, or motel uses, there has been little incentive for lessees to make major improvements to their infrastructure. The lack of improvements in many of these areas has resulted in dilapidation, deterioration, or obsolescence of buildings and structures. Your Committee believes this measure will help rejuvenate public lands over time, beginning with public lands on the Waiakea Peninsula.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the planning committee has the power and duty to prepare or cause to be prepared plans, specifications, design criteria, landscaping, and estimates of costs for the development, construction, reconstruction, improvement, rehabilitation, or repair of any project contained in the redevelopment plan for the designated district, and from time to time modify the plans, specifications, design criteria, landscaping, or estimates;

(2) Clarifying that the Board of Land and Natural Resources must submit its report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session immediately following the submission of the plan to the Board, with a request for the required appropriations or bond authorization as applicable;

(3) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $500,000 for deposit into the Waiakea Peninsula Redevelopment District Revolving Fund and $250,000 out of the Waiakea Peninsula Redevelopment District Revolving Fund for each fiscal year for the Waiakea Peninsula Redevelopment District.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1385, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1385, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair