STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2320

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 3154

       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 Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 3154 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGULATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that failure to comply with approved mitigation commitments, conduct an archaeological inventory survey, or comply with other administrative requirements pertaining to archaeology approved by the Department of Land and Natural Resources shall result in civil and administrative violations.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.

 

     Your Committee finds that it is difficult for the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine if a historic property or burial site is affected, damaged, or destroyed because of a failure to comply with administrative provisions as statute does not clearly provide any penalties for noncompliance with administrative requirements.  This measure will provide the State Historic Preservation Division with more flexibility in regulating archaeological activities in the State and protecting historic properties and burial sites.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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 S.B. No. 3154, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3154, 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