Bill > SR24

This Resolution formally requests the Auditor, an independent government official with the authority to examine financial affairs and records of state departments, to conduct a performance audit of the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) within the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The SHPD is responsible for protecting and preserving Hawaii's historic properties. The audit will scrutinize various aspects of the SHPD's operations, including its staffing and resources for timely project reviews, adherence to established timeframes for responding to submissions, current project review practices (such as identifying exemptions, special protections for historic sites, and streamlining processes like the inadvertent discovery of burial sites), record retention methods, standardization of monitoring protocols including cultural impact assessment guidance, efforts to address the existing backlog of project reviews, and any recommended improvements to the SHPD's mission and organization to balance preservation with development needs. The Auditor is required to submit a report of findings and recommendations to the Legislature by a specific date before the 2023 legislative session.