STAND. COM. REP. NO.  271-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2308

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2308 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT OFFICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an Environmental Information Management Office within the Department of Health.

The Department of Health; Department of Transportation; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Office of Environmental Quality Control; Kamaka Green; and a few individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the provisions that the appointment of the Environmental Information Management Office's manager and staff hired by the manager be done without regard to Chapter 76; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2308, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2308, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair