STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1519-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2907

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2907, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MARINE AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Declare that the State is an ocean cluster;

(2) Establish the Office of Marine Affairs and Marine Affairs Task Force within the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation;

(3) Establish and appropriate funds for a Marine Affairs Coordinator position;

(4) Repeal the powers and duties of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism over marine affairs; and

(5) Transfer the employees and functions of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Marine Affairs to the Office of Marine Affairs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity; Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; WaiHome LLC; Marine Genetics; Hawaiʻi Angels; Blue Startups; Privateer Space Inc.; Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions; Hohonu; Nāmaka Algae, Inc.; Ai.Fish; Voltage Vessels; and eight individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's identity, economy, and long-term resilience are inseparable from the ocean. The State's ocean economy, or "blue economy", spans commercial fisheries, maritime transportation, ocean science, defense, renewable energy, tourism, and coastal resilience. This unique convergence of geography, culture, and innovation positions Hawaii to become a global leader in sustainable ocean development.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring that the Office of Marine Affairs, in carrying out its duties, not supplant the strategies and priorities of the Department of Land and Natural Resources but rather integrate its efforts with the Department's ongoing work;

(2) Providing that the Governor, instead of the Office of Marine Affairs, appoints the Marine Affairs Coordinator;

(3) Designating the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, rather than the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, as a member of the Marine Affairs Task Force;

(4) Requiring that the plans developed by the Marine Affairs Coordinator for future projects that align with the statewide marine affairs strategy and statewide ocean technology and innovation development strategy be consistent with constitutional and statutory mandates related to natural resource protection;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider who should appoint the members of the Marine Affairs Task Force, who should appoint the Marine Affairs Coordinator, and whether the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation or Governor should set the Coordinator's salary.

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 S.B. No. 2907, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2907, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair