STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3345

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1932

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Transportation to acquire, including by condemnation, any real, personal, or mixed property for immediate or future use and own, hold, improve, rehabilitate, sell, assign, exchange, transfer, convey, lease, or dispose of the property acquired;

(2) Amend the definition of "public lands" to exclude lands to which the Department of Transportation holds title; and

(3) Authorize the Department of Transportation to directly acquire any real property for its purposes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Signature Aviation.

Your Committee finds that the acquisition of real property in the State is a responsibility of the Board of Land Natural Resources. As the title holder, the Board of Land and Natural Resources must be involved in the review and approval of leases operated solely by the Department of Transportation, leading to delays and inefficiencies in the Department's administration of the State's airports and harbors. This measure streamlines the administrative processes related to the management and improvement of transportation systems, enabling the Department of Transportation to deliver projects and provide improvements that benefit the public.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing the Department of Transportation to acquire, or contract to acquire, property for projects relating to climate mitigation and adaptation, noise and visual buffer zones and barriers, and ground transportation facilities pursuant to section 264-142, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Inserting language requiring the sale or disposal of property by the Department of Transportation to be subject to the existing process in section 171-53, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(3) Authorizing the Director of Transportation to expend funds appropriated by the Legislature for the acquisition, management, or maintenance of property for projects relating to climate mitigation and adaptation and visual and noise buffer zones and barriers; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1932, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

________________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair