STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1209

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 994

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 994, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to perform a study to redefine rural district policies and standards and increase the effectiveness of the rural district in protecting agricultural working lands, identify strategies for expansion of the rural district through reclassification of agricultural lands to rural lands, and submit reports of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Agriculture; Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; and Hawai‘i Farm Bureau.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 994, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair