STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1226

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1483

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force nomination and appointment process.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Healthy Climate Communities, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Organizing for Action, and fourteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning, Trees for Honolulu's Future, The Outdoor Circle, 350Hawaii.org, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force was permanently established in 2018. The Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force's mission, in part, is to examine opportunities to increase carbon sequestration through added trees and vegetation to reduce urban temperatures and thereby protect public health.

Your Committee received testimony from the Office of Planning indicating that after the end of the current fiscal year, the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force will not have sufficient funds to continue reimbursing Task Force members for reasonable expenses necessary for the performance of their duties. The Office of Planning further testified that there are no operational funds to enable the Task Force to fulfill its statutory mandates and requested $300,000 for this purpose.

Your Committee has amended this measure accordingly by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation of $300,000 for the Office of Planning to administer the Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Task Force;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2019; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1483, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair