Bill > SB3169

This bill establishes a five-year Coastal Resilience Pilot Program within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to address coastal erosion at Mantokuji Bay in Maui, a significant issue threatening cultural sites like the Paia Mantokuji temple and vital infrastructure. The program aims to implement comprehensive, streamlined coastal management measures for the bay, treating it as a single natural unit rather than individual parcels, and will be exempt from certain state and county regulations, including environmental impact statements and shoreline setback rules, to facilitate these efforts. Importantly, the bill outlines specific procedures for the discovery of Native Hawaiian skeletal remains, requiring immediate cessation of work, notification of authorities, consultation with descendants, and a determination by the island burial council on how to proceed, while ensuring that documented burials within the Paia Mantokuji Soto Zen Mission cemetery are managed according to existing laws. The State Historic Preservation Division will conduct a simplified review of historic preservation aspects, and the program will require annual reports to the Legislature on its progress and effectiveness, with the program set to expire on June 30, 3005.