STAND. COM. REP. NO.  538

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1707

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1707 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROTECTION OF CAVES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to strike a balance between the State's need to protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the state, and the ability of individuals with a direct kuleana to those resources or responsibility to protect the resources to have meaningful access to those resources, by authorizing the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to disclose government information and records on the location of a cave and its resources to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), appropriate island burial council, and the recognized descendants of the burials located within the land parcel on which the cave is located.

 

     OHA and DLNR testified in support of this bill.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1707 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair