THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

918

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to public lands.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 171-36, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsections (a) and (b) to read:

     "(a)  Except as otherwise provided, the following restrictions shall apply to all leases:

     (1)  Options for renewal of terms are prohibited;

     (2)  No lease shall be for a longer term than [sixty-five] thirty-five years, except in the case of a residential leasehold which may provide for an initial term of fifty-five years with the privilege of extension to meet the requirements of the Federal Housing Administration, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Land Bank of Berkeley, Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of Berkeley, Berkeley Bank for Cooperatives, or Department of Veterans Affairs requirements; provided that the aggregate of the initial term and extension of residential leases shall in no event exceed seventy-five years;

     (3)  No lease shall be made for any land under a lease which has more than two years to run;

     (4)  No lease shall be made to any person who is in arrears in the payment of taxes, rents, or other obligations owing the State or any county;

     (5)  No lease shall be transferable or assignable, except by devise, bequest, or intestate succession; provided that with the approval of the board of land and natural resources, the assignment and transfer of a lease or unit thereof may be made in accordance with current industry standards, as determined by the board; provided further that prior to the approval of any assignment of lease, the board shall have the right to review and approve the consideration to be paid by the assignee and may condition its consent to the assignment of the lease on payment by the lessee of a premium based on the amount by which the consideration for the assignment, whether by cash, credit, or otherwise, exceeds the depreciated cost of improvements and trade fixtures being transferred to the assignee; provided further that with respect to state agricultural leases, in the event of foreclosure or sale, the premium, if any, shall be assessed only after the encumbrances of record and any other advances made by the holder of a security interest are paid;

     (6)  The lessee shall not sublet the whole or any part of the demised premises except with the approval of the board; provided that prior to the approval, the board shall have the right to review and approve the rent to be charged to the sublessee; provided further that in the case where the lessee is required to pay rent based on a percentage of its gross receipts, the receipts of the sublessee shall be included as part of the lessee's gross receipts; provided further that the board shall have the right to review and, if necessary, revise the rent of the demised premises based upon the rental rate charged to the sublessee including the percentage rent, if applicable, and provided that the rent may not be revised downward;

     (7)  The lease shall be for a specific use or uses and shall not include waste lands, unless it is impractical to provide otherwise;

     (8)  Mineral and metallic rights and surface and ground water shall be reserved to the State; and

     (9)  No lease of public lands, including submerged lands, nor any extension of any such lease, shall be issued by the State to any person to construct, use, or maintain a sunbathing or swimming pier or to use the lands for such purposes, unless such lease, or any extension thereof, contains provisions permitting the general public to use the pier facilities on the public lands and requiring that a sign or signs be placed on the pier, clearly visible to the public, which indicates the public's right to the use of the pier.  The board, at the earliest practicable date, and where legally possible, shall cause all existing leases to be amended to conform to this paragraph.  The term "lease", for the purposes of this paragraph, includes month-to-month rental agreements and similar tenancies.

     (b)  The board, from time to time, upon the issuance or during the term of any intensive agricultural, aquaculture, commercial, mariculture, special livestock, pasture, or industrial lease, may:

     (1)  Modify or eliminate any of the restrictions specified in subsection (a);

     (2)  Extend or modify the fixed rental period of the lease; provided that the aggregate of the initial term and any extension granted shall not exceed [sixty-five] thirty-five years; or

     (3)  Extend the term of the lease,

to the extent necessary to qualify the lease for mortgage lending or guaranty purposes with any federal mortgage lending agency, to qualify the lessee for any state or private lending institution loan, private loan guaranteed by the State, or any loan in which the State and any private lender participates, or to amortize the cost of substantial improvements to the demised premises that are paid for by the lessee without institutional financing, such extension being based on the economic life of the improvements as determined by the board or an independent appraiser; provided that the approval of any extension shall be subject to the following:

     (1)  The demised premises have been used substantially for the purpose for which they were originally leased;

     (2)  The aggregate of the initial term and any extension granted shall not be for more than [sixty-five] thirty-five years;

     (3)  In the event of a reopening, the rental for any ensuing period shall be the fair market rental at the time of reopening;

     (4)  Any federal or private lending institution shall be qualified to do business in the State;

     (5)  Proceeds of any mortgage or loan shall be used solely for the operations or improvements on the demised premises;

     (6)  Where improvements are financed by the lessee, the lessee shall submit receipts of expenditures within a time period specified by the board, otherwise the lease extension shall be canceled; and

     (7)  The rules of the board, setting forth any additional terms and conditions, which shall ensure and promote the purposes of the demised lands."

     2.  By amending subsection (e) to read:

     "(e)  The approval of any extension granted pursuant to subsection (d) shall be subject to the following:

     (1)  The demised premises has been used substantially for the purposes for which they were originally leased;

     (2)  The aggregate of the initial term and any extension granted shall not be for more than [fifty-five] thirty-five years;

     (3)  The rental shall not be less than the rental for the preceding term;

     (4)  The rules of the board, setting forth any additional terms and conditions which shall ensure and promote the purposes of the demised lands; and

     (5)  The length of the extension shall not exceed a reasonable length of time for the purpose of providing relief and shall in no case exceed five years."

     SECTION 2.  Section 171-95.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§171-95.1[]]  Authority of board to extend leases under certain circumstances.  Notwithstanding the lease restrictions established pursuant to section 171-36, the board may, without public auction, extend a public land lease that is issued to a school or government entity pursuant to section 171-95 beyond the [sixty-five] thirty-five year maximum lease term.  The authority established pursuant to this section to extend a lease shall not apply to any lease to the University of Hawaii of lands within a conservation district of which the University of Hawaii has subleased a portion for the purpose of constructing an astronomical observatory."

     SECTION 3.  Section 171-192, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:

     "(a)  The board, from time to time, upon the issuance or during the term of any intensive agricultural, aquaculture, commercial, mariculture, special livestock, pasture, hotel, resort, or industrial lease of public lands within the Hilo community economic district, may:

     (1)  Modify or eliminate any of the restrictions specified in section 171-36(a);

     (2)  Extend or modify the fixed rental period or the term of the lease upon approval by the board of a development agreement proposed by the lessee to make substantial improvements to the existing improvements or to construct new substantial improvements so long as the [length of any extension granted does not extend the original lease term by more than forty years;] aggregate of the initial term and any extension granted shall not exceed thirty-five years; or

     (3)  Extend the term and modify any provisions of the lease,

to the extent necessary to qualify the lease for mortgage lending or guaranty purposes with any federal mortgage lending agency; to qualify the lessee for any state or private lending institution loan, private loan guaranteed by the State, or any loan in which the State and any private lender participates; or to amortize the cost of substantial improvements to the demised premises that are paid for by the lessee without institutional financing."

     2.  By amending subsection (c) to read:

     "(c)  An extension of the fixed rental period or term of the lease shall be based on the economic life of the substantial improvements as determined by the board or an independent appraiser; provided that the approval of any extension shall be subject to the following:

     (1)  The demised premises have been used substantially for the purpose for which they were originally leased;

    [(2)  The length of any extension granted for the fixed rental period of the lease shall not extend the fixed rental period of the original lease by more than forty years;

     (3)  The length of any extension granted for the term of the lease shall not extend the original lease term by more than forty years;]

     (2)  The aggregate of the initial term and any extension granted shall not exceed thirty-five years;

    [(4)] (3)  If a reopening occurs, the rental for any ensuing period shall be the fair market rental as determined under section 171-17(d) at the time of reopening;

    [(5)] (4)  Any federal or private lending institution shall be qualified to do business in the State;

    [(6)] (5)  Proceeds of any mortgage or loan shall be used solely for the operations or substantial improvements on the demised premises;

    [(7)] (6)  Where substantial improvements are financed by the lessee, the lessee shall submit receipts of expenditures within a time period specified by the board, otherwise the lease extension shall be canceled; and

    [(8)] (7)  The rules of the board, setting forth any additional terms and conditions, which shall ensure and promote the purposes of the demised lands."

     3.  By amending subsection (e) to read:

     "(e)  The approval of any extension granted pursuant to subsection (d) shall be subject to the following:

     (1)  The demised premises has been used substantially for the purposes for which they were originally leased;

     (2)  The rental shall not be less than the rental for the preceding term;

     (3)  The rules of the board, setting forth any additional terms and conditions which shall ensure and promote the purposes of the demised lands; and

     (4)  The [length of the extension shall not exceed a reasonable length of time for the purpose of providing relief and shall in no case extend the original lease's fixed rental period by more than forty years.] aggregate of the initial term and any extension shall not exceed thirty-five years."

     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.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Public Lands; Lease Restrictions

 

Description:

Limits the term of certain public land leases, including any extensions, to no more that thirty-five years.

 

 

 

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