STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1147

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 201

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 201, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the definition of "historic property" for purposes of the Historic Preservation Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, and Hawai‘i YIMBY. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Climate Protectors Coalition and Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

Your Committee finds that the current definition of "historic property", which is based solely on the age of the property, is flawed. When age alone is used as the measure of a property's historical value, what is ignored is the property's relationship to people and events, its architectural distinction, and other valuable historic, scientific, and cultural information associated with the property. Therefore, this measure amends the definition of "historic property" to incorporate these important contextual considerations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the proposed definition of "historic property" to include, among others, "heiau or an underwater site", from "heiau and an underwater site";

(2) Deleting the proposed provision that would include, without any precedent contextual considerations, any building, structure, object, district, area, or site, including a heiau or underwater site, that is over one hundred years old within the definition of "historic property"; and

(3) 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 Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 201, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 201, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair