STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2650
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2668
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirtieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2020
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2668 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LAND CONSERVATION FUND,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Increase the percentage of the Land Conservation Fund that may be used for costs related to the operation, maintenance, and management of lands acquired by the fund;
(2) Increase the maximum dollar amount of the conveyance tax distribution to the land conservation fund; and
(3) Appropriate funds from the Land Conservation Fund for resource land acquisition.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, Hana Arts, Ke Ao Halii, and six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Association of Realtors. Your Committee received comments on this measure from The Trust for Public Land.
Your Committee finds that the State
dedicates a portion of its annual revenue from real estate conveyance taxes to
the Land Conservation Fund. Each year,
the Legislature provides the Legacy Land Conservation Program with some of the
money held in the fund, which then distributes this money through a competitive
grants process for purchasing land and conservation easements and for paying
the debt service on state financial instruments for the protection of
agricultural, coastal, cultural, and historical resources; habitats, natural
areas, and open, scenic spaces; and parks, recreation, and watershed resources. Your Committee finds that this measure will
increase the funding available for purchasing and protecting land that shelters
exceptional, unique, and threatened resources.
Your
Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Clarifying
that the appropriation of funds is for fiscal year 2020-2021;
(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2020;
and
(3) 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 and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2668, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2668, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,
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________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair |
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