Bill Text: HI SB2152 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To The Board Of Land And Natural Resources.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-12 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC. [SB2152 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SB2152-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2152 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that, to effectively manage public lands, oversight of how the lands are used is necessary to ensure that Hawaii's people thrive. The land division of the department of land and natural resources has significant discretion to revoke, limit, remove, or modify leases granted by the department, issue condemnations, and rescind revocable permits without prior approval from the board of land and natural resources. Enhanced review of public land leases and revocable permits would allow the State to ensure that the use of public lands best benefits Hawaii's people.
The purpose of this Act is to limit the discretion of the land division of the department of land and natural resources by requiring the board of land and natural resources to approve all decisions to revoke, limit, condemn, remove, or modify the department's leases and revocable permits.
SECTION 2. Section 171-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§171-6 Powers. Except as otherwise provided by law, the
board of land and natural resources shall have the powers and functions granted
to the heads of departments and the board of land and natural resources under
chapter 26.
In
addition to the foregoing, the board may:
(1) Adopt a seal;
(2) Administer oaths;
(3) Prescribe forms of instruments and documents;
(4) Adopt
rules [which, upon compliance with] pursuant to chapter 91, which
shall have the force and effect of law;
(5) Set, charge, demand, and collect reasonable fees for the preparation of documents to be issued, for the surveying of public lands, and for the issuing of certified copies of its government records, which fees, when collected, shall be deposited into the state general fund, unless otherwise specified in this chapter;
(6) Establish
additional restrictions, requirements, or conditions, consistent with those
prescribed in this chapter, relating to the use of particular land being
disposed of[, the]; terms of sale, lease, license, or permit[,];
and [the] qualifications of any person to draw, bid, or negotiate for
public land;
(7) Reduce or waive the lease rental at the beginning of the lease on any lease of public land to be used for any agricultural or pastoral use, or for resort, commercial, industrial, or other business use where the land being leased requires substantial improvements to be placed thereon; provided that the reduction or waiver shall not exceed two years for land to be used for any agricultural or pastoral use, or exceed one year for land to be used for resort, commercial, industrial, or other business use. When a lease for resort, commercial, industrial, or other business or residential purposes requires a lessee to demolish existing improvements or provide basic infrastructure, including drainage, sewer, water, electricity, and other utilities, before the lessee can make productive use of the land, the board may approve a reduction or waiver of lease rental for a period of up to twenty years; provided that the aggregate amount of the reduced or waived lease rental shall not exceed the amount of the lessee's total expenditures for demolition or provision of the infrastructure;
(8) Delegate to the chairperson or employees of the department of land and natural resources, subject to the board's control and responsibility, powers and duties as may be lawful or proper for the performance of the functions vested in the board; provided that any decision relating to the revocation, limitation, condemnation, removal, or modification of land leases and revocable permits shall be subject to prior approval by the board;
(9) Use arbitration under chapter 658A to settle any controversy arising out of any existing or future lease;
(10) Set, charge, and collect reasonable fees in an amount sufficient to defray the cost of performing or otherwise providing for the inspection of activities permitted upon the issuance of a land license involving a commercial purpose;
(11) Appoint hearing officers to conduct public hearings as provided by law and under conditions as the board by rules shall establish;
(12) Bring actions as may be necessary to remove or remedy encroachments upon public lands. Any person causing an encroachment upon public land shall:
(A) Be
fined [no] not more than $1,000 a day for the first offense;
(B) Be
fined [no] not less than $1,000 nor more than $4,000 per day upon
the second offense and thereafter;
(C) If required by the board, restore the land to its original condition if altered and assume the costs thereof;
(D) Assume costs as may result from adverse effects from restoration; and
(E) Be liable for administrative costs incurred by the department and for payment of damages;
(13) Set, charge, and collect interest and a service charge on delinquent payments due on leases, sales, or other accounts. The rate of interest shall not exceed one per cent a month and the service charge shall not exceed $50 a month for each delinquent payment; provided that the contract shall state the interest rate and the service charge and be signed by the party to be charged;
(14) Set, charge, and collect additional rentals for the unauthorized use of public lands by a lessee, licensee, grantee, or permittee who is in violation of any term or condition of a lease, license, easement, or revocable permit, retroactive to the date of the occurrence of the violation. The amounts shall be considered delinquent payments and shall be subject to interest and service charges as provided in paragraph (13);
(15) Set,
charge, and collect reasonable fines for violation of this chapter or any rule
adopted thereunder. Any person engaging
in any prohibited use of public lands [or], conducting any
prohibited activity on public lands, or violating any of the other provisions
of this chapter or any rule adopted thereunder, for which violation a penalty
is not otherwise provided, shall be:
(A) Fined
[no] not more than $5,000 per violation for a first violation or
a violation beyond five years of the last violation; provided that, after
written or verbal notification from the department, an additional $1,000 per
day per violation may be assessed for each day in which the violation persists;
(B) Fined
[no] not more than $10,000 per violation for a second violation
within five years of the last violation; provided that, after written or verbal
notification from the department, an additional $2,000 per day per violation
may be assessed for each day in which the violation persists;
(C) Fined
[no] not more than $20,000 per violation for a third or
subsequent violation within five years of the last violation; provided that,
after written or verbal notification from the department, an additional $4,000
per day per violation may be assessed for each day in which the violation
persists; and
(D) Liable
for administrative costs and expenses incurred by the department and for
payment [for] of damages, including but not limited to natural
resource damages.
In addition to the fines,
administrative costs, and damages provided for hereinabove, for damage to or
theft of natural resources, the board may also set, charge, and collect a fine
that, in its discretion, is appropriate considering the value of the natural
resource that is damaged or the subject of the theft. In arriving at an appropriate fine, the board
may consider the market value of the natural resource damaged or taken and any
other factor it deems appropriate, such as the loss of the natural resource to
its natural habitat and environment and [the] cost of restoration or
replacement. The remedies provided for
in this paragraph are cumulative and in addition to any other remedies allowed
by law.
No person shall be sanctioned pursuant
to this section for the exercise of [native] Native Hawaiian
gathering rights and traditional cultural practices as authorized by law or as
permitted by the department pursuant to article XII, section 7, of the Hawaii [state
constitution;] State Constitution;
(16) Issue revenue bonds, subject to the approval of the legislature. All revenue bonds shall be issued pursuant to part III of chapter 39, except as provided in this chapter. All revenue bonds shall be issued in the name of the department and not in the name of the State. The final maturity date of the revenue bonds may be any date not exceeding thirty years from the date of issuance;
(17) Pledge or assign all or any part of the receipts and revenues of the department. The revenue bonds shall be payable from and secured solely by the revenue derived by the department from the industrial park or parks for which the bonds are issued;
(18) Reimburse the state general fund for debt service on general obligation bonds or reimbursable general obligation bonds issued by the State for purposes of this chapter;
(19) Notwithstanding part II of chapter 205A to the contrary, plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain any lands or facilities under the jurisdiction of the division of boating and ocean recreation of the department without the need to obtain a special management area minor permit or special management area use permit; and
(20) Do any and all things necessary to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers granted in this chapter."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
DLNR; BLNR; Land Division; Public Land Leases; Revocable Permits; Powers
Description:
Limits the discretion of the Land Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources by requiring the Board of Land and Natural Resources to approve all revoked, limited, condemned, removed, or modified public land leases or revocable permits. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
