STAND. COM. REP. NO. 99-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2223

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 2223 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct a review of the effect of a proposed project on lands under its jurisdiction on historic properties and burial sites, subject to certain requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the existing requirement for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to consult with the State Historic Preservation Division for every project can create significant administrative bottlenecks. By allowing the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to perform these reviews internally through qualified specialists, this measure would accelerate the permitting process while maintaining rigorous historic and cultural preservation goals.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2223, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2223, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair