STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2302

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3155

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3155 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC LAND LIABILITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Abolish the Task Force on Beach and Water Safety and the Risk Assessment Working Group; and

(2) Require the design and placement of warning signs, devices, and system to be approved by the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources for state beach parks and the county mayors for county beach parks.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and one individual.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committees find that the Task Force on Beach and Water Safety and the Risk Assessment Working Group were established in 1996 and 2003, respectively, to advise the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources regarding the design and placement of warning signs, devices, or systems at public beach parks and improved public lands. Since their establishment, virtually all managed public beaches, parks, and trails have been examined and the requisite warning signs are in place and state and county staff are charged with ensuring the legibility and maintenance of the signage. The two groups have not assembled for more than fifteen years and are no longer necessary to effectuate proper warnings of dangers at public beach parks and improved public lands. This measure will eliminate bureaucracy and an unfunded mandate to manage and assemble groups that have not and may not need to meet for years at a time but still maintain the liability protection for the government.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3155 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair