STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2705

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3099

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3099, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve solid waste management within the State.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes a plastics recycling grant program to identify Hawaii-based alternatives for the sustainable recycling and reuse of plastic commodities within the State;

(2) Requires the Department of Health to set benchmarks to reach an eighty-five percent redemption rate by January 1, 2023;

(3) Increases the refund value for deposit beverage containers from five cents to ten cents; provided that the Department of Health determines that the redemption rate for deposit beverage containers remained below eighty percent for two consecutive calendar years;

(4) Requires the Department of Health to provide annual reports to the Legislature on redemption rates, progress, and plans regarding the deposit beverage container program; and

(5) Appropriates funds for:

(A) Two positions for the glass advance disposal fee program; and

(B) The plastics recycling grant program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Kokua Hawaii Foundation; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii; Sierra Club of Hawaii; and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the International Bottled Water Association.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee recognizes that the current redemption rate of the deposit beverage container program is at sixty-seven percent, which is near the all-time low of 66.9 percent. Your Committee believes that this measure will help to increase the redemption rate of plastic beverage containers and ensure that fewer empty beverage containers will be deposited in landfills and the ocean.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing all calculations of the redemption rate, and related schedules, so that they are determined on a fiscal year basis;

(2) Changing all appropriation amounts to unspecified amounts;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 3099, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3099, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair