STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1286

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 471

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STARLIGHT RESERVE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce the negative impacts of artificial night lighting in the State by extending the existence of the Starlight Reserve Committee for an additional two years from June 30, 2013, to June 30, 2015.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Starlight Reserve Committee; and one individual.

 

     Your Committees find that the Starlight Reserve Committee was established in 2009 by Act 161, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, as a temporary advisory committee to assist the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism in developing a statewide starlight reserve strategy and developing legislation to implement the strategy.  In 2012, the Starlight Reserve Committee made recommendations to the Legislature, and the Legislature enacted Act 287, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, which is codified as section 201-8.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Section 201-8.5, which is applicable to state agencies, implements a night sky protection strategy containing limitations and requirements related to artificial night lighting.

 

     Your Committees find that with the enactment of Act 287, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, the temporary Starlight Reserve Committee accomplished much of its mandated duties.  The Starlight Reserve Committee and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism have already had approximately one year to develop administrative rules, and your Committees believe that one additional year should be sufficient for the Starlight Reserve Committee to complete any remaining mandated duties.

 

     Therefore, your Committees have amended this measure by shortening the extension of the Starlight Reserve Committee's existence from a two-year period to a one-year period ending on June 30, 2014.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 471, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair

 

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair