STAND. COM. REP. NO. 884-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2492

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2492, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HYDROFLUOROCARBONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Preserve federal regulations on the use of hydrofluorocarbons in state law;

(2) Establish a preference for products that do not contain hydrofluorocarbons in the State Procurement Code;

(3) Require the State Building Code Council, when adopting, amending, or updating building codes and standards, to establish codes and standards that permit the use of substitutes and do not require the use of prohibited substitutes; and

(4) Direct the Hawaii State Energy Office and the Environmental Management Division of the Department of Health to study how to increase the use of refrigerants with low global warming potential and recommend how to establish a state program that supports the elimination of legacy uses of hydrofluorocarbons.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Climate Protectors Coalition; 350Hawaii.org; Project Drawdown, Honolulu; Pele Lani Farm LLC; We Are One, Inc.; and eighteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, State Procurement Office, and American Chemistry Council.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2492, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair