STAND. COM. REP. NO. 181

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 710
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water and Land Use, to which was referred
H.B. No. 710 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMISSION ON WATER
     RESOURCE MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to change the structure of the
Commission on Water Resource Management by:  

     1.   Requiring that one member of the commission be a
          representative of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs not
          subject to appointment by the governor or confirmation
          by the Senate; 

     2.   Reducing the size of the nominating committee; and

     3.   Reducing the number of names submitted to the governor
          by the nominating committee.  

     Your Committee received testimony as follows:

     1.   Office of Hawaiian Affairs, in support; 

     2.   Commission on Water Resource Management, in opposition;
          and

     3.   University of Hawaii Environmental Center, offering
          comment.  

     Your Committee finds that representation from the Office of
Hawaiian Affairs on the Commission on Water Resource Management
will provide the commission with a new perspective, although a
question remains as to whether membership by a representative of

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 181
                                 Page 2

 
OHA will affect its right to intervene on cases before the
commission.  

     Your Committee revised the bill by:  

     1.   Providing that the member of the Commission on Water
          Resource Management representing the Office of Hawaiian
          Affairs be non-voting; 

     2.   Making technical, non-substantive changes for the
          purposes of style and clarity.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Water and Land Use that is attached to this report,
your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B.
No. 710, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 710, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   Romy M. Cachola, Chair