STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2616

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3168

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. 3168 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TAKING OF MARINE DEPOSITS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Land and Natural Resources to approve permits for research, education, management, or propagation purposes that include the taking of sand, dead coral, coral rubble, rocks, soil, and other marine deposits seaward of the shoreline.

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

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

Your Committee received comments on this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Department) regularly receives requests for permits that involve taking of sand, dead coral, coral rubble, rocks, soil, or other marine deposits from state waters for research, education, management, or propagation purposes. However, the Department is not authorized to approve these permit requests as section 171-58.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, does not currently allow for the taking of these resources for those purposes. This measure will allow the Department to approve research, education, management, or propagation activities requiring these resources and ensure these activities are appropriate and beneficial.

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. 3168, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3168, 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,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair