STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1162-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2977

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2977, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Commission) to develop reports assessing the impact of the tourism industry on climate change.

The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition, 350Hawaii.org, Friends of Hanauma Bay, and many concerned individuals supported this measure. The Office of Planning and Life of the Land provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Commission shall develop reports assessing the impact of transportation in the tourism industry on climate change unless it is demonstrably and objectively infeasible to do so, and that the Commission shall analyze and categorize the data collected to determine the contribution that transportation in the tourism industry has on greenhouse gas emissions; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and consistency.

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 S.B. No. 2977, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2977, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Tourism.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair