STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2697

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2588

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2588 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Accounting and General Services for:

(1) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) historic preservation specialist position; and

(2) Four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) archaeologist positions.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation, and six individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committees find that historic preservation plays a critical role in perpetuating the State's unique history and preservation of the history and cultural practices of Native Hawaiians. Presently, the Department of Accounting and General Services and the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources are tasked with evaluating and enforcing state and federal historic preservation law. However, the Department of Accounting and General Services does not have an internal subject matter expert, and thereby relies on contractors to complete this crucial work. This measure will improve interdepartmental communication, expedite certain historic preservation mandates, and improve project management and planning for upcoming or pending projects by increasing resources available to the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Appropriating funds for the establishment of four full-time equivalent (4.0 FTE) archaeologist positions and one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) historic preservation specialist position within the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, instead of in the Department of Accounting and General Services;

(2) Requiring the State Historic Preservation Division to collaborate with the Department of Accounting and General Services on matters relating to historic preservation;

(3) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(4) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2588, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2588, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Water and Land,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair