STAND. COM. REP. NO.  50-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1170

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1170, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND RESOURCES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Create a process for the lease of public lands without public auction for geothermal resources that is consistent with the process applicable to lands with renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass; and

 

     (2)  Provide clarity and consistency in the statutory provisions relating to the regulation of mineral resources under chapters 171 and 182, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

 

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism testified in support of this measure.  The Director of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, and one concerned individual provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended the definition of "geothermal resources exploration" by retaining the semicolon at the end of paragraph (2) to clarify that the term includes conducting non-invasive geophysical operations and drilling exploration wells that are reasonably required for testing and analysis to provide ground truth or determine the economic viability of geothermal resources.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1170, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1170, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair