STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1166

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1403

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1403, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MARINE LIFE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide greater protection to the Maui Molokini shoal marine life conservation district.

 

     Specifically, this measure provides that a total of:

 

     (1)  Forty permits shall be issued for the district; and

 

     (2)  Twenty permit holders shall be granted access into the crater in the district at any one time.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Ocean Tourism Coalition, Calypso Charters, Trilogy Corporation, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that certain marine life conservation districts are worthy of special treatment due to their environmental and scenic importance and their ability to conserve and replenish marine reserves.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Applying the measure to any marine life conservation district not accessible by land instead of just the Maui Molokini shoal marine life conservation district alone;

 

     (2)  Limiting the number of access permits to a relevant district to no more than forty;

 

     (3)  Limiting access to a relevant district at any one time to no more than fifty percent of the current number of permit holders; and

 

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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. 1403, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1403, S.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair