STAND. COM. REP. NO. 943

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1082

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CONSERVATION AND RESOURCES ENFORCEMENT SPECIAL FUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

(1)  Establish the Conservation and Resources Enforcement Special Fund to be administered by the Department of Natural Resources; and

 

(2)  Appropriate an unspecified sum out of the Conservation and Resources Enforcement Special Fund for expenses relating to enforcing natural, cultural, and historic resources protection laws and rules.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; The Nature Conservancy; Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; and George Purdy.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement of the Department of Land and Natural Resources has been approached by private sources that are interested in partnering with the Department to improve natural, cultural, and historic resources.  Currently, the Department of Land and Natural Resources can only accept and establish trust accounts to manage one-year grants; it does not have an established and dedicated account into which it can place multi‑year non-governmental funding.  This measure would create a special fund for that purpose.

 

     Your Committee notes that the testimony of the Department of Land and Natural Resources requests an appropriation of $250,000 out of the General Fund for fiscal year 2011-2012 to be deposited into the Conservation and Resources Enforcement Special Fund. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date from July 1, 2030, to upon approval; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1082, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Housing,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair