STAND. COM. REP. NO. 576-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2106

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Environmental Quality Control to adopt and maintain rules requiring all environmental assessments and environmental impact statements prepared pursuant to Chapter 343, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include consideration of sea level rise based on the most recent scientific data available regarding sea level rise.

The Sierra Club of Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Office of Planning and Office of Environmental Quality Control provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee notes that the Environmental Council, under the Office Environmental Quality Control, is currently preparing language to incorporate climate change, including sea level rise, into its next draft version of the administrative rules. Your Committee respectfully requests that your Committee on Finance consider incorporating the Environmental Council's proposed language into this measure.

Your Committee further notes that the Office of Planning submitted written testimony proposing an amendment to change the language, "most recent scientific data available regarding sea level rise", to "best available" scientific data regarding sea level rise. Your Committee agrees with the Office of Planning that this amendment would better carry out the intent of the measure.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that environmental assessments and environmental impact statements must be based on the "best available" scientific data regarding sea level rise; and

(2) Changing its effective date to December 24, 2088.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

KANIELA ING, Chair