STAND. COM. REP. NO. 457-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2245
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Tourism and Energy and Environmental
Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2245 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM
     AUTHORITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to exempt the Hawaii Tourism
Authority (HTA) from Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the
environmental impact statement law (EIS law).

     Testimony in support of the bill was submitted by the HTA,
Maui Hotel Association, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Land Use
Research Foundation of Hawaii, Waikiki Improvement Association,
Kauai Economic Development Board, and Grove Farm Company.  The
Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the
Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, and the Hawaii Hotel
Association submitted testimony supporting the intent of the
bill.  The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau submitted
testimony commenting on its understanding of the scope of the EIS
law.  Testimony in opposition of the bill was submitted by the
Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii's Thousand Friends, the
Environmental Center, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Kohanaiki
Ohana, Kupuna Advisory Council, Hawaii Green Party,
Ilioulaokalani Coalition, Environmental Defense (formerly the
Environmental Defense Fund), Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, Sierra
Club, Ohua Group Hawaiian Environmental Coalition, Na Leo Pohai,
Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund, Hawaii Aududon Society, and
concerned citizens.  

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 457-00
                                 Page 2

 
     It is not the intent of your Committees to subject the
marketing and planning efforts of the HTA to the EIS laws;
however, actions of the HTA that require the approval of other
agencies must be scrutinized for any significant impacts on the
environment.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended the bill by
excepting from the blanket exemption from the EIS law, actions by
the HTA that require a discretionary consent of another agency
before implementation of the action. 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Tourism and Energy and Environmental Protection
that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord
with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2245, as amended herein,
and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 2245, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee
on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Tourism and
                                   Energy and Environmental
                                   Protection,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
HERMINA M. MORITA, Chair           JERRY L. CHANG, Chair