STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2778

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3153

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3153, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DAM AND APPURTENANCE IMPROVEMENT OR REMOVAL GRANT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to assist private dam owners in either maintaining their dams and bringing them into compliance with current safety standards or removing it.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes the dam and appurtenance improvement or removal grant program special fund; and

(2) Appropriates moneys into and out of the dam and appurtenance improvement or removal grant program special fund for purposes of the dam and appurtenance improvement or removal grant program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the establishment of a special fund to hold the moneys for the dam and appurtenance improvement or removal grant program will help the Department of Land and Natural Resources to award grants to qualifying dam owners without concerns about those moneys lapsing to the general fund.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2024.

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. 3153, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3153, 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