STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1048-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2106

H.D. 3

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 2, 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 best available scientific data regarding sea level rise.

The Department of Environmental Services of the City and County of Honolulu, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, Young Progressives Demanding Action - Hawaii, Animal Rights Hawai‘i, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and many concerned individuals supported this measure. The Office of Environmental Quality Control and Office of Planning provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by tasking the Environmental Council, rather than the Office of Environmental Quality Control, with the duties provided in this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2106, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair