STAND. COM. REP. NO. 652

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 908

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, Water and Land, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 908 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUSTAINABILITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a statewide sustainability division within the Office of Planning to ensure long-term planning, coordination, and implementation of Hawaii's sustainability goals and policies.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning, Land Use Commission, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Farm Bureau, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and one individual.

Your Committees find that under existing law, the Office of Planning is mandated to work with various state agencies to guide the development of the State through comprehensive, long-range, strategic planning efforts, such as coordinating and implementing statewide sustainability goals and policies. As the Office of Planning is tasked with evaluating, analyzing, and developing responses for issues that cross over agency lines, it is uniquely positioned to ascertain primary responses and actions and coordinate divergent groups and resources to effectuate goals and initiatives. Most importantly, as the Office of Planning is tasked with statewide planning, it has the capability to view problems and response needs at a comprehensive level. This measure establishes the sustainability division within the Office of Planning so that Hawaii's sustainability goals and policies can be achieved.

Your Committees have concerns about the number of bills being passed relating to climate change and sustainability that are mandating several agencies to take action, without any accompanying appropriation or staff, and that your Committees need to consider the entire picture as the discussion moves forward this session.

Your Committees have amended this measure by 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 Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, Water and Land, and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 908, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 908, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, Water and Land, and Government Operations,

________________________________ KAIALI'I KAHELE, Chair	________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair
	________________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair