STAND. COM. REP. NO.2669

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2805

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2805 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow Hawaii's soil and water conservation districts to retain funds deposited with the conservation districts.

Your Committee finds that soil and water conservation districts are cooperatives made up of local landowners that assist other districts or cooperatives setup soil conservation programs.

Presently, these conservation districts receive the bulk of their funding directly from the federal, state, and county governments in the form of grants. These grants, as well as any other funds received by the conservation district, are by law, automatically transferred to the general fund upon receipt. Subsequently, the same funds are then redistributed back to the conservation districts for their intended use.

This bill would eliminate the unnecessary step of transferring conservation district funds to the general fund and re-transferring the same funds back to the conservation district. The time saved would allow conservation districts to provide their services in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. Your Committee notes that the grants received by the conservation districts are supervised by the granting agency.

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. 2805 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair