STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2606

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1277

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1277 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MAPPING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the environmental justice task force and an advisory council to develop high quality data relating to environmental justice concerns, identify environmental justice communities, and devise a method to correct for racist and unjust practices leading to historical and current environmental injustices.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Surfrider Foundation and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that environmental hazards cause disproportionate health outcomes for certain communities as a result of systemic injustices. Correcting those injustices requires detailed data on the extent of disproportionate outcomes and adverse effects. This measure develops a task force and advisory council to gather and disseminate data on disproportionate outcome and environmental injustices in the State.

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 S.B. No. 1277 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair