STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1046-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2858

      S.D. 1

      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 S.B. No. 2858, S.D. 1, 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 promote the use of environmental information systems and new management innovations by establishing the Environmental Information Management Office within the Department of Health.

The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Office of Environmental Quality Control; Department of Transportation; and three concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Health and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making the civil service exemption for the environmental information management office manager expire on July 1, 2017, and removing the civil service exemption for the environmental information management office staff positions.

     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 S.B. No. 2858, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2858, S.D. 1, 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