Report Title:

State Planning; Functional Plans; Preparation and Implementation

Description:

Requires 10-year interval updates of state plans from state agencies. Requires legislative approval of updates. Directs state agencies to prepare new functional plans for implementation no later than 6/30/06, and to review and incorporate previous plans as appropriate. Effective on approval. (CD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2077

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1


C.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO PLANNING.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the Hawaii State Planning Act (chapter 226, Hawaii Revised Statutes), enacted in 1978 and amended several times since, sets forth the public policy that development of the State's resources must occur only pursuant to a comprehensive plan developed using input from all affected parties. Under the Hawaii State Planning Act, state agencies were directed to prepare functional plans to govern long-term development in the State.

The legislature further finds that functional plans were approved in 1989 in the areas of education, employment, health, housing, and human services; and in 1991, functional plans were approved in the areas of agriculture, conservation lands, energy, historic preservation, recreation, tourism, and transportation.

The legislature further finds that economic, cultural, geographic, and political circumstances have changed greatly since state agencies last prepared functional plans. Updating existing functional plans would greatly assist the legislature in allocating scarce state resources and in its consideration of legislation for the sustainable long-term development of the State.

The legislature also recognizes that many state agencies have undertaken individual planning projects. For example, the department of land and natural resources updates its state comprehensive outdoor recreational plan every five years which provides background information and supporting rationale for the various policies adopted by the department. The legislature finds that planning documents prepared by a state agency within the past five years are an important resource that should be considered in the formulation of any state functional plan.

The purpose of this Act is to require each appropriate and respective state agency to prepare an updated functional plan, with the assistance of the office of planning, for education, employment, health, housing, human services, agriculture, conservation lands, energy, historic preservation, recreation, tourism, and transportation. These functional plans shall consider and, to the extent practicable, adopt the findings or recommendations contained in any planning document produced by a state agency within the past five years.

SECTION 2. Section 226-55, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) The state agency head primarily responsible for a given functional area shall prepare the functional plan for the area. In the preparation of the functional plan, the state agency head shall work in close cooperation with the advisory committee, respective officials, and people of each county[.] and with the assistance of the office of planning. In the formulation of the functional plan, the preparing agency shall solicit public views and concerns. The formulation and revision of a state functional plan shall conform to the provisions of this chapter and shall take into consideration the county general plans. Functional plans and any [revisions thereto shall be approved by the governor to] updates shall serve as guidelines for funding and implementation by state and county agencies.

The state agency shall update a functional plan at ten-year intervals, based on the initial plan update to be considered for approval by June 30, 2006; provided that previous findings and recommendations contained in any planning document produced by a state agency within five years of an update shall be considered and, if practicable, shall be incorporated therein. The state agency shall report to the legislature on the new functional plan or an update with findings and recommendations for legislative approval by a majority vote on a concurrent resolution."

SECTION 3. Pursuant to sections 226-55 and 226-56, Hawaii Revised Statutes, each state agency shall prepare for consideration by the legislature an updated functional plan no later than June 30, 2006. A state agency that prepared a functional plan in 1989 or 1991 may incorporate provisions of its existing plan into a new plan, as relevant.

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.