STAND. COM. REP. NO. 753

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 635

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 635, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER CONSERVATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the management of fresh water supplies in the State.

     More specifically, the measure:

     (1)  Establishes a two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program for county-owned water supply departments to implement their respective water conservation incentive programs; and

     (2)  Appropriates $500,000 out of the general revenues of the State for fiscal year 2017-2018 and an equal amount for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the pilot program, to be disbursed to each county on a pro rata basis by population and matched by each county on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu, the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Hawaii Fresh Water Initiative, Hawaii Green Growth, The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, U.S. Green Building Council Hawaii Chapter, Central Pacific Tanks, Inc., One World One Water, LLC, and four individuals.

     Your Committee finds that fresh water is one of the State's most precious natural resources and that water utilities and their customers should maximize efficiency with regard to managing and using water. 

Your Committee further finds that moneys appropriated for this two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program for county-owned water supply departments to implement their respective water conservation incentive programs should be allocated equally among the counties rather than disbursed on a prorated basis by population.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriation from $500,000 per year to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion on the measure;

     (2)  Providing that the moneys appropriated for the two-year water conservation financial assistance pilot program for county-owned water supply departments to implement their respective water conservation incentive programs shall be allocated equally among the counties rather than disbursed on a prorated basis by population; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2099, to facilitate further discussion on the measure;

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 635, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 635, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair