STAND. COM. REP. NO.  150

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 444

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 444 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BEACH PROTECTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to conserve and restore Hawaii's beaches by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the Department of Land and Natural Resources' responsibilities to include both beach restoration and conservation activities;

 

     (2)  Allocating $3,000,000 of Transient Accommodations Tax revenues to the Special Land and Development Fund to be expended according to a mutual agreement of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii Tourism Authority in accordance with the Hawaii Tourism Authority's long-range Strategic Plan; and

 

     (3)  Mandating that a $7,000,000 balance, to be funded by allocations from Transient Accommodations Tax revenues, is maintained in the Beach Restoration and Conservation Special Fund.

 

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii Shore and Beach Preservation Association, Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, and the Nature Conservancy testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and an individual provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that $3,000,000 in Transient Accommodations Tax revenues be allocated and deposited into the Special Land and Development Fund and expended in accordance with the Hawaii Tourism Authority's strategic plan;

 

     (2)  Lowering the mandated balance in the Beach Restoration and Conservation Special Fund from $7,000,000 to $5,000,000; and

 

     (3)  Changing its effective date to take effect upon approval to help facilitate the implementation of the measure. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 444, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 444, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Tourism.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair