STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2433

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2827

 

 

 

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. 2827 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RECORDATION TRANSACTION FEES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Expand the uses of the transaction fee for recordings in the Bureau of Conveyances and Land Court authorized under Act 120, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009;

 

     (2)  Apply the fee to all services rendered by the Bureau of Conveyances pursuant to chapters 501 and 502, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     (3)  Repeal the transaction fee upon the earlier of the effective date of adoption of rules by the Department of Land and Natural Resources or July 1, 2023.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 120, Session Law of Hawaii 2009, intended to provide the necessary funding to correct serious shortcomings at the Bureau of Conveyances identified by the Joint Legislative Investigative Committee under Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 226 (2007).  To date, as a result of Act 120, the Bureau of Conveyances has significantly improved the automation and integrity of the recording process, established web and digital access to most of the Bureau of Conveyances' database and records, and created the portal and process for the electronic recording of documents.  Future key improvement projects include completing phases of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' digitization project, which include securing and increasing accessibility to the Bureau of Conveyances' records and maps as well as establishing a critical disaster recovery plan that can continue the Bureau of Conveyances' operation in times of an emergency.  This measure expands the authorized use of the transaction fees charged for recordings with the Bureau of Conveyances to address many of the evolving issues that the Bureau of Conveyances faces, such as enhancing technology and digitization, improving workflow processes for both daily and historical records processing and certification, and restoring and preserving physical book records.

 

     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. 2827 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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