Bill Text: HI SB713 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Office of Planning; Office of the Governor; Appropriation ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-04 - The committee on EGH deferred the measure. [SB713 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-SB713-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	713
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to the office of planning.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 225M-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§225M-1  Purpose.  The purpose of this chapter is to establish an office of planning to assist the governor and the director of business, economic development, and tourism in maintaining an overall framework to guide the development of the State through a continuous process of comprehensive, long-range, and strategic planning to meet the physical, economic, and social needs of Hawaii's people[,]; review the State's policies to determine how best to discourage sprawl and promote smart land use practices; and provide for the wise use of Hawaii's resources in a coordinated, efficient, and economical manner, including the conservation of those natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, historic, and other limited and irreplaceable resources which are required for future generations.

     The office of planning shall implement transit-oriented development and coordinate with agencies responsible for functions critical to implementation, such as the Hawaii community development authority, public land development corporation, department of transportation, department of Hawaiian home lands, University of Hawaii, department of accounting and general services, department of health, and the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation.  Other agencies may participate on an as needed basis where a major land use issue under consideration falls under the purview of an agency or department not listed above.

     The establishment of an office of planning [in the department of business, economic development, and tourism,] within the office of the governor, for administrative purposes, is intended to:

     (1)  Fix responsibility and accountability to successfully carry out statewide planning programs, policies, and priorities;

     (2)  Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations of the executive branch; and

     (3)  Ensure comprehensive planning and coordination to enhance the quality of life of the people of Hawaii."

     SECTION 2.  Section 225M-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§225M-2  Office of planning, establishment; responsibilities.  (a)  There is established within the [department of business, economic development, and tourism] office of the governor, on a special and temporary basis, an office of planning.  The head of the office shall be known as the director of the office of planning, referred to in this chapter as director.  The director shall have: training in the field of urban or regional planning, public administration, or other related fields; experience in programs or services related to governmental planning; and experience in a supervisory, consultative, or administrative capacity.  The director shall be nominated by the governor and, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appointed by the governor without regard to chapter 76, and shall be compensated at a salary level set by the governor.  The director shall be included in any benefit program generally applicable to the officers and employees of the State.  The director shall retain such staff as may be necessary for the purposes of this chapter, in conformity with chapter 76.  The director shall report to the [director of business, economic development, and tourism] governor and [shall not] may be required to report directly to any [other] principal executive department[.], as determined by the governor.  The director shall conduct an annual comprehensive review of the office of planning to be submitted to the governor and legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session.

     (b)  The office of planning shall gather, analyze, and provide information to the governor to assist in the overall analysis and formulation of state policies and strategies to provide central direction and cohesion in the allocation of resources and effectuation of state activities and programs and effectively address current or emerging issues and opportunities.  More specifically, the office shall engage in the following activities:

     (1)  State comprehensive planning and program coordination.  Formulating and articulating comprehensive statewide goals, objectives, policies, and priorities, and coordinating their implementation through the statewide planning system established in part II of chapter 226;

     (2)  Strategic planning.  Identifying and analyzing significant issues, problems, and opportunities confronting the State, and formulating strategies and alternative courses of action in response to identified problems and opportunities by:

         (A)  Providing in-depth policy research, analysis, and recommendations on existing or potential areas of critical state concern;

         (B)  Examining and evaluating the effectiveness of state programs in implementing state policies and priorities;

         (C)  Monitoring through surveys, environmental scanning, and other techniques--current social, economic, and physical conditions and trends; and

         (D)  Developing, in collaboration with affected public or private agencies and organizations, implementation plans and schedules and, where appropriate, assisting in the mobilization of resources to meet identified needs;

     (3)  Planning coordination and cooperation.  Facilitating coordinated and cooperative planning and policy development and implementation activities among state agencies and between the state, county, and federal governments, by:

         (A)  Reviewing, assessing, and coordinating, as necessary, major plans, programs, projects, and regulatory activities existing or proposed by state and county agencies;

         (B)  Formulating mechanisms to simplify, streamline, or coordinate interagency development and regulatory processes; and

         (C)  Recognizing the presence of federal defense and security forces and agencies in the State as important state concerns;

     (4)  Statewide planning and geographic information system.  Collecting, integrating, analyzing, maintaining, and disseminating various forms of data and information, including geospatial data and information, to further effective state planning, policy analysis and development, and delivery of government services by:

         (A)  Collecting, assembling, organizing, evaluating, and classifying existing geospatial and non-geospatial data and performing necessary basic research, conversions, and integration to provide a common database for governmental planning and geospatial analyses by state agencies;

         (B)  Planning, coordinating, and maintaining a comprehensive, shared statewide planning and geographic information system and associated geospatial database.  The office shall be the lead agency responsible for coordinating the maintenance of the multi-agency, statewide planning and geographic information system and coordinating, collecting, integrating, and disseminating geospatial data sets that are used to support a variety of state agency applications and other spatial data analyses to enhance decision making.  The office shall promote and encourage free and open data sharing among and between all government agencies.  To ensure the maintenance of a comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date geospatial data resource that can be drawn upon for decision making related to essential public policy issues such as land use planning, resource management, homeland security, and the overall health, safety, and well-being of Hawaii's citizens, and to avoid redundant data development efforts, state agencies shall provide to the shared system either their respective geospatial databases or, at a minimum, especially in cases of secure or confidential data sets that cannot be shared or must be restricted, metadata describing existing geospatial data.  In cases where agencies provide restricted data, the office of planning shall ensure the security of that data; and

         (C)  Maintaining a centralized depository of state and national planning references;

     (5)  Land use planning.  Developing and presenting the position of the State in all boundary change petitions and proceedings before the land use commission, assisting state agencies in the development and submittal of petitions for land use district boundary amendments, and conducting periodic reviews of the classification and districting of all lands in the State, as specified in chapter 205;

     (6)  Coastal and ocean policy management.  Carrying out the lead agency responsibilities for the Hawaii coastal zone management program, as specified in chapter 205A.  Also, developing and maintaining an ocean and coastal resources information, planning, and management system further developing and coordinating implementation of the ocean resources management plan, and formulating ocean policies with respect to the exclusive economic zone, coral reefs, and national marine sanctuaries;

     (7)  Regional planning and studies.  Conducting plans and studies to determine:

         (A)  The capability of various regions within the State to support projected increases in both resident populations and visitors;

         (B)  The potential physical, social, economic, and environmental impact on these regions resulting from increases in both resident populations and visitors;

         (C)  The maximum annual visitor carrying capacity for the State by region, county, and island; and

         (D)  The appropriate guidance and management of selected regions and areas of statewide critical concern.

          The studies in subparagraphs (A) to (C) shall be conducted at appropriate intervals, but not less than once every five years; [and]

     (8)  Regional, national, and international planning.  Participating in and ensuring that state plans, policies, and objectives are consistent, to the extent practicable, with regional, national, and international planning efforts[.]; and

     (9)  Transit-oriented development planning.  Participating in and coordinating transit-oriented development planning between state, county, and city governments by:

         (A)  Serving as coordinator between state agencies and across city, county, and state governments to identify shared transit-oriented development opportunities;

         (B)  Clarifying state goals for transit-oriented development and smart growth that support the principles of the Hawaii state planning act by, among other things, preserving non-urbanized land, improving worker access to jobs, and reducing fuel consumption;

         (C)  Conducting outreach to state agencies to assist in informing and educating state employees about the ways they can support and benefit from transit-oriented development;

         (D)  Publicizing coordinated state efforts that support smart growth, walkable neighborhoods, and transit-oriented development; and

         (E)  Reviewing state land use decision making processes to identify ways to make walkable, transit-oriented development communities a higher priority, and to facilitate better and more proactive leadership in creating walkable communities and employment districts, even if transit will be provided at a later date."

     SECTION 3.  The office of planning may establish two temporary positions, subject to chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes; provided that funding for the positions shall be provided by the Honolulu authority for rapid transportation to carry out the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of funds to be provided by the Honolulu authority for rapid transportation the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for two temporary positions in the office of planning.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the office of planning for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  All rights, powers, functions, and duties of the office of planning are transferred to the office of the governor.

     All officers and employees whose functions are transferred by this Act shall be transferred with their functions and shall continue to perform their regular duties upon their transfer, subject to the state personnel laws and this Act.

     No officer or employee of the State having tenure shall suffer any loss of salary, seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefit or privilege as a consequence of this Act, and such officer or employee may be transferred or appointed to a civil service position without the necessity of examination; provided that the officer or employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the position to which transferred or appointed; and provided that subsequent changes in status may be made pursuant to applicable civil service and compensation laws.

     An officer or employee of the State who does not have tenure and who may be transferred or appointed to a civil service position as a consequence of this Act shall become a civil service employee without the loss of salary, seniority, prior service credit, vacation, sick leave, or other employee benefits or privileges and without the necessity of examination; provided that such officer or employee possesses the minimum qualifications for the position to which transferred or appointed.

     If an office or position held by an officer or employee having tenure is abolished, the officer or employee shall not thereby be separated from public employment, but shall remain in the employment of the State with the same pay and classification and shall be transferred to some other office or position for which the officer or employee is eligible under the personnel laws of the State as determined by the head of the department or the governor.

     SECTION 6.  All appropriations, records, equipment, machines, files, supplies, contracts, books, papers, documents, maps, and other personal property heretofore made, used, acquired, or held by the department of business, economic development, and tourism relating to the functions transferred to the office of the governor shall be transferred with the functions to which they relate.

     SECTION 7.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 8.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 4 shall take effect on July 1, 2013.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Office of Planning; Office of the Governor; Appropriation

 

Description:

Temporarily transfers the office of planning from the department of business, economic development, and tourism to the office of the governor.  Requires the director of the office of planning to conduct an annual review of the office of planning.  Authorizes the office of planning to hire two temporary positions to be funded by the Honolulu authority for rapid transportation, if funds are available.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.