STAND. COM. REP. NO.  46-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1648

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water & Land and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1648 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUBDIVISION DOCUMENTS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enable the counties to maintain accurate property maps and records by requiring certain state agencies that are exempt from county subdivision processes to submit project maps, orders of condemnation, and recorded deeds and title transfers to the appropriate county real property assessment administrator.

 

     The Department of Budget and Fiscal Services of the City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands submitted comments.

 

     Your Committees find that the counties' ability to maintain accurate property records is essential for the efficient performance of their administrative and public safety functions.  Inaccurate or outdated subdivision maps and property ownership records impede county agencies' ability to respond to safety hazards such as fires and to accurately assess property taxes. 

 

Your Committees recognize that by establishing a requirement for document submission by state agencies, this measure also establishes a corresponding requirement for document receipt and processing by county agencies.  It is not your Committees' intent to create any undue burden for the counties.  Therefore, your Committees respectfully request that your Committee on Transportation further investigate the impact of this measure on the respective counties' financial and agency staff capacity, should that Committee choose to consider this measure.

 

Your Committees have amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water & Land and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1648, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1648, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water & Land and Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

____________________________

FAYE P. HANOHANO, Chair

 

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair