STAND. COM. REP. NO.  481-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2510

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Legislative Reference Bureau to enter into a contract with the University of Hawaii to conduct a study on the State's environmental review process and system.

 

     Additionally, this measure requires the contract to be through the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii, and also requires the Research Corporation to assemble an interdisciplinary team of university members from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the Environmental Center, and the Environmental Law Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Environmental Center of the University of Hawaii, the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, the Building Industry Association of Hawaii, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Director of the University of Hawaii Environmental Law Program, and a concerned citizen.  Testimony in opposition was received from the Office of Environmental Quality Control of the Department of Health.  Comments on the measure were received from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

     Your Committee finds that the study required under this measure expands upon the scope of a study that was previously mandated by the Legislature in 2006 but which was not completed due to a lapse in the appropriation to the Department of Health.  Your Committee further finds that the recent judicial and legislative events surrounding the Superferry affair underscore the pressing need to resume the study, but this time with a broader focus.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2510, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MICHAEL Y. MAGAOAY, Chair