STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1698

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   S.B. No. 992

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 992, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VESSELS AGROUND,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify actions the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) can take when responding to grounded vessels.

 

     Specifically, this measure clarifies that DLNR may assume immediate control of:

 

(1)  A vessel that is grounded on state submerged land, a shoreline, or a coral reef, or in imminent danger of breaking up, if the vessel cannot be removed by the owner within 24 hours of grounding; and

 

(2)  A vessel not in imminent danger of breaking up that is grounded on a sand beach, sand bar, or mudflat, after the owner or owner's representative has been given 72 hours of notice to remove the vessel and has not done so in a reasonably safe manner,

 

unless the owner of the vessel receives notice from DLNR and has commenced effective salvage operations.

 

     DLNR, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Ocean Tourism Coalition testified in support of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 992, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair