STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3445
Honolulu, Hawaii
S.D. 1
President of the Senate
Twenty-Ninth State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 141 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A REGIONAL CESSPOOL MODERNIZATION TASK FORCE WITHIN EACH COUNTY OF THE STATE,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to convene a regional cesspool modernization task force within each county of the State.
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the City and County of Honolulu - Department of Environmental Services, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health.
Your Committees find that this measure will help the State find the best approach to cesspool replacement in each county, rather than promoting a statewide, one-size-fits-all approach. Your Committees also find that this measure will help generate solutions to the cesspool modernization problem ahead of the State's 2050 deadline for all cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected.
Your Committees have heard the concerns of the Department of Health that the Department does not have the staff, financial resources, or local focus to best address the purposes of this measure. Your Committees note the Department's recommendations to allow the county district health officers to take control of this project and to empower the task forces to hire third-party consultants.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Requesting the respective county district health officers to convene and take part in the cesspool modernization task forces, rather than a representative of the Department of Health as appointed by the Director of Health;
(2) Amending its title accordingly;
(3) Requesting that each task force retain a third-party consultant to conduct a study on cesspool modernization; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 141, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 141, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,
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________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair |
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________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair |
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