STAND. COM. REP. NO. 388-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2026

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2026 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to revisit the question of whether current environmental challenges warrant the establishment of a Department of Environmental Protection by:

(1) Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to update its 1985 study "The Feasibility of Environmental Reorganization for Hawaii", which, in part, discussed the creation of a Department of Environmental Protection and assess the feasibility of implementing the findings and recommendations of the 1991 Department of Environmental Protection Task Force;

(2) Requiring LRB to submit the updated report to the Legislature at least 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

(3) Appropriating an unspecified sum to LRB for purposes of updating its 1985 study.

The County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Cuddle Party, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and three concerned individuals supported this measure. The State Procurement Office and LRB submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Enhancing the purpose section of this measure by adding that forty states have unified environmental departments;

(2) Extending the due date of the LRB update report by one year to prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

(3) Specifying $150,000 as the amount of the appropriation to LRB to update its 1985 study.

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. 2026, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2026, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair