STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2573

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2909

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERMIT APPROVALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a county to opt out of the automatic permit approval process by adopting an ordinance to exempt the county as a whole or any county agency from this law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the County of Hawaii and the Sierra Club. The Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that the automatic permit approval law was passed in an effort to improve Hawaii's business climate. However, there may be instances where automatic permit approval may have negative consequences for the public and the environment.

This measure gives the county discretion whether to require automatic permit approval or not.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2909, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair