STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2042

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 560

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 560, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY TRAINING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide energy systems and technology training to certain county officers and employees.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes energy systems and technology training courses to educate certain relevant county officers and employees;

(2) Requires the University of Hawaii community colleges or an entity contracted by the community colleges to develop the training courses and any materials necessary to implement the courses;

(3) Requires the University of Hawaii community colleges to:

(A) Administer the training courses;

(B) Provide notifications or advertisements of the courses to the relevant entities;

(C) Provide the training courses at no cost to the participants or for a refundable fee; and

(D) Submit a report to the Legislature in 2020 describing the progress made in establishing the training courses;

(4) Requires the community colleges or the community colleges' designee to establish a committee to assist in the development of the training courses; and

(5) Appropriates moneys to the University of Hawaii for energy systems and technology training.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; State Fire Council; Hawaii Fire Department; Kauai County Fire Department; Maui Fire Department; 350Hawaii.org; Hawaii Energy; Our Revolution Hawaii; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that providing energy systems and technology training courses to certain county officers and employees will help to create a more informed and potentially expedited permitting process for energy construction projects.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2035, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

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 H.B. No. 560, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 560, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair