STAND. COM. REP. NO. 939

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1086

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1086 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Legislative Reference Bureau to update its 1985 study "The Feasibility of Environmental Reorganization for Hawaii";

     (2)  Require the Legislative Reference Bureau to submit the updated study to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016; and

     (3)  Appropriate funds to the Legislative Reference Bureau for necessary costs in preparing and submitting the updated study.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Environmental Quality Control, Conservation Council for Hawaii, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau and State Procurement Office.

     Your Committee finds that responsibility and oversight pertaining to natural resources and environmental management are spread among several state agencies and departments.  This has led to inefficient operations and use of resources, as it is sometimes unclear which agency will take the lead and which agency will be responsible for using its limited resources to tackle an issue.  Implementation of this measure will provide better assurance that the State is effectively addressing critical environmental issues.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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 H.B. No. 1086, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1086, S.D. 1, 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