STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2993

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3154, S.D. 1, 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 Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.

Your Committee finds that regulation of archaeological activities is one of the specific purposes for which the Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historical Preservation Division was established. However, your Committee recognizes that the State Historical Preservation Division does not have the resources to examine in the field whether historic property and burial site projects have complied with administrative requirements. This measure will provide the State Historical Preservation Division with stronger mechanisms with which to regulate archaeological activities in the State in order to protect historic properties and burial sites.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3154, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair