STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2029

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2858

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2858 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Health; Office of Environmental Quality Control; Hawaii Government Employees Association; and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the quality of the environment is important to the welfare of the people of Hawaii as is the economy of the State.  Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for the collection of state environmental data and its dissemination to the public, to the regulated and permitted community, and to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  The development of specialized environmental information management systems can greatly assist the Department of Health's Environmental Health Administration to provide timely and comprehensive environmental information to the public, increase efficiency, and make more informed decisions to better protect the environment.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2858 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

____________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair