Senate bill calls for changes on Commission on Water Resource Management

At the request of the Maui County Council, Senate President Ronald Kouchi (Kaua’i, Ni’ihau) has introduced a bill to make changes to operations of the state Commission on Water Resource Management.

Senate Bill 272 would define the commission’s public trust responsibilities, requiring it to prioritize public use purposes. It would allow the commission to retain independent legal counsel. The measure also would amend the scope of the commission to include declaration of emergencies. The bill would repeal the position of deputy to the chairperson of the commission and establish the position of executive director. The measure also would amend the commission’s composition and authorize entities to challenge an emergency order of the commission under certain conditions. Finally, it would establish fines for certain water use offenses.

The bill appears to be a reaction to what happened in 2023 with Kaleo Manuel, the former first deputy on the Water Commission. He left his post in December of that year after being reassigned following the August 2023 Maui wildfires. Then, he was reinstated two months later after an investigation by the Attorney General.

Following Manuel’s reassignment, the Maui County Council and others pressured the Water Commission to reinstate him, which it did on Oct. 9, 2023. He was “reassigned” on Aug. 15 following accusations by a land owner that he delayed access to water during the deadly Aug. 8 Lahaina fire.

Manuel’s removal at the time as a top staff member of the commission angered many Native Hawaiians and conservationists across the state.

If enacted, the bill would take effect July 1.