STAND. COM. REP. NO.  310-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2518

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 2518 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE PLANNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to review and update the State Planning Act and continue efforts to develop goals and policies to guide the development of the State.  Specifically, this bill requires and provides funding for the Office of Planning to, among other things, review the Hawaii State Planning Act and report to the Legislature its recommendations for updating the Plan to appropriately address state needs.

 

     The Office of Planning, Enterprise Honolulu, and The Nature Conservancy testified in support of this bill.

 

     In 1978, efforts were made to improve the planning process in the State to increase the effectiveness of government and private actions, improve coordination among different agencies and levels of government, provide for wise use of Hawaii's resources and guide the future development of the State.  These efforts resulted in the enactment of the State Planning Act which sets forth the Hawaii State Plan.  The Hawaii State Plan articulates goals and policies to guide the development of the State and establishes an integrated planning and implementation system to deliver on those policies.

 

     According to the Office of Planning, the last review of the State Planning Act was initiated in 1983 and completed in 1985, and resulted in the enactment of several pieces of legislation that amended the State Planning Act.  Since then, there have been significant changes in Hawaii's economic, physical, and social conditions; technology; and the global marketplace, as well as in the constraints and opportunities the State faces as it plans for the future.  Thus, your Committee finds that, a comprehensive review of the State Planning Act is warranted.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the amount appropriated for the review to an unspecified sum; and

 

     (2)  Making its effective date January 20, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $500,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 for the Office of Planning to conduct the review of the Hawaii State Planning Act.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2518, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2518, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair