STAND. COM. REP. NO. 909

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1591

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1591, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE "ROADS IN LIMBO" PROGRAM IN HAWAII COUNTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the "roads in limbo" program, to repair and maintain roads in Hawaii county, for which the ownership or jurisdiction is disputed by Hawaii county and the State.

Specifically, this bill appropriates an unspecified amount to repair and maintain roads in Hawaii county that were created or acquired by the State, but for which ownership or jurisdiction is disputed. The appropriation is conditioned on a dollar-for-dollar matching amount from Hawaii county, other sources, or a combination of sources.

Your Committee finds that some of the disputed roads exist and some are referred to only on paper and that, in many instances, some of these roads date back to the Territorial days. These roads were established by the Territorial government and have since been ignored by the State and the counties. Your Committee believes that this bill is necessary to maintain and protect the health, welfare, and safety of residents of Hawaii who use these roads.

Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the source of funding from general funds to a more appropriate source -- the state highway fund, which may be used, in part, pursuant to section 248-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for maintenance and repair costs of the state highway system.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1591, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1591, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair