STAND. COM. REP. NO.  498-20

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2020

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2213

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 2213 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PLANNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Planning to review and propose updates to the Hawaii State Planning Act.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning.

 

     Your Committee notes that the Hawaii State Planning Act, set forth in Chapter 226, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was enacted in 1978.  All state agencies, including the Office of Planning, are guided by the Act.  Your Committee finds that the last review of the Hawaii State Plan was initiated in 1983 and completed in 1985.

 

     Your Committee also finds that over the last thirty-five years, there have been significant changes to Hawaii's environment, economic drivers, agricultural and tourism industries, infrastructure demands, natural resources, population, and other physical and social conditions.  Your Committee notes that the Office of Planning has acknowledged that Part I of the Hawaii State Planning Act should be updated to reflect changes in Hawaii's agricultural industry and its future economic development.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting as an allowed use of the appropriation the hiring of an unspecified number of Planner V positions to staff the Special Plans Branch of the Office of Planning to support the reviewing, analyzing, and recommending of updates to the Hawaii State Planning Act; and

 

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Should your Committee on Finance decide to hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $400,000 to be expended by the Office of Planning for reviewing, analyzing, and recommending updates to the Hawaii State Planning Act, including the hiring of one Planner V position.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2213, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2213, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

TY J.K. CULLEN, Chair