SB 919 Summary

• Establishes a transfer of development rights (TDR) program under the Hawaii Land Use Commission allowing development rights to be transferred from "sending districts" (natural, scenic, agricultural, or historically significant lands) to "receiving districts" (areas with adequate infrastructure and resources).

• Requires TDR programs to include a well-considered plan, adequate environmental impact assessment, conservation easements on sending district properties, and evaluation of impacts on low to moderate income housing availability.

• Creates a conservation stewardship fund administered by the Land Use Commission to receive appropriations, processing fees, and deposits from the environmental response revolving fund for program administration.

• Appropriates $160,000 from the environmental response revolving fund for fiscal year 2013-2014 to establish the conservation stewardship fund and an additional $160,000 from that fund for creation and administration of the TDR program.

• Does not invalidate any county-level TDR provisions already in effect; transferred development rights are deemed real property interests that bind successors and heirs.