STAND. COM. REP. NO. 910

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 98

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 98, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require:

(1) The Auditor to conduct an audit of the Department of Land and Natural Resource's Aquatic Resources Division's expenditures of funds received from the federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program and to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and

(2) The Division of Aquatic Resources to submit an annual report to the Legislature, beginning in 2025, summarizing the Division's expenditure of funds received from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program for the preceding year and providing the recipient and purpose of each expenditure.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Office of the Auditor.

Your Committee finds that the oversight provided by this measure's annual reporting requirements will help ensure that federal funds are being used most effectively to support fishing, hunting, and wildlife conservation in the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the requirement that the Auditor conduct an audit, based on written comments from the Office of the Auditor;

(2) Codifying in section 187A-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the requirement that the Division of Aquatic Resources submit an annual report to the Legislature; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 98, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 98, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair