STAND. COM. REP. NO. 318

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 848

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 848 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII INSTITUTE FOR MARINE BIOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for three support staff positions for the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology is critically understaffed, even though it is one of the most complex research operations at the University of Hawaii, with responsibilities for maintaining its own entire island infrastructure; overseeing a marine special management area; managing its own National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health; managing its own photovoltaic power purchase agreement; running its own diving and boating programs; and maintaining all of its own facilities, grounds, and utilities.

Your Committee further finds that the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology's twenty-six acre campus and associated facilities bring in nearly $9,000,000 in research, education, and outreach funds annually. This measure will appropriate funds to establish new permanent support staff positions critical to sustaining the daily operations for initiatives at the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 848, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 848, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education & Technology,

____________________________

AMY A. PERRUSO, Chair