STAND. COM. REP. NO. 403

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 792
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and
Labor and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 792
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REGULATORY PROCESSES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify the automatic
permit approval process established by Act 164, Session Laws of
Hawaii 1998.

     The Attorney General, the Environmental Center, and the
Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter presented testimony in support of
this measure with amendments.  The League of Women Voters
presented testimony in support of the intent of this measure.
Hawaii's Thousand Friends, although not present at the hearing,
submitted testimony in support, and the Department of Planning
and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, although not
present at the hearing, submitted testimony supporting the intent
of the measure with reservations.

     The Department of Business, Economic Development, and
Tourism, the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, the Hawaii
Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaiian
Electric Company, and the Estate of James Campbell presented
testimony in opposition.  Although not present, the Hawaii
Association of Realtors, the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference,
the AIA Hawaii State Council, the Building Industry Association
of Hawaii, Hawaii Resort Developers Conference, the Pacific

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 403
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Resource Partnership, the Gentry Companies, and Grove Farm
Company Incorporated submitted written testimony in opposition.

     Your Committees find that there has not been sufficient time
for departments affected by Act 164, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998,
to implement the new permit processes.  Thus, it is premature at
this time to amend the automatic permit process established by
this Act.

     However, in order to facilitate further discussion, your
Committees have amended this measure by replacing the contents of
the measure with an amendment which clarifies that automatic
permits will not be granted by a county or state agency relating
to health or safety. 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Labor and
Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 792, as amended
herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form
attached hereto as S.B. No. 792, S.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Commerce and
                                   Consumer Protection and Labor
                                   and Environment,



____________________________       ______________________________
BOB NAKATA, Chair                  BRIAN KANNO, Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

 
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