STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1060

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1060 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STORMWATER FEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Exempt the State, and its departments and agencies, from county stormwater user fees; and

(2) Prohibit a county from denying services to the State or its departments and agencies by reason of nonpayment of user fees.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Facility Maintenance of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Maui Department of Public Works, Roth Ecological Design Intl., Ulupono Initiative, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that while it is important to encourage best practices and infrastructure investment by the counties to capture and retain rainfall for potable water before it becomes stormwater run-off, it is also beneficial to the State to provide exemptions from stormwater management fees for certain state facilities. This measure frees up additional resources for the State, while continuing to provide support for the counties in their efforts to protect and enhance groundwater, streams, and near-shore environments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that only state airports and harbors shall be exempt from county stormwater user fees;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1060, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1060, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair