STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1368-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 3124

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 3124, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR COSTS RESULTING FROM THE RELEASE OF PETROLEUM FROM THE RED HILL BULK FUEL STORAGE FACILITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation to provide funds for the Department of Health for costs related to emergency response for threats to public health and enforcement activities resulting from release of petroleum from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, 350Hawaii.org, Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action, and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and one individual.

Your Committees find that the Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam water crisis and the fuel contamination of the Navy's Red Hill Shaft water sources has caused the Department of Health to incur tremendous costs in its efforts to address the public health impacts of the fuel releases from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The ongoing crisis is fluid and the lack of an appropriation may hamper the scope and speed of the Department's response. The emergency appropriation in this measure is needed to ensure cash flow and operational continuity for the ongoing emergency response, regulatory oversight, and enforcement related to the Red Hill water crisis.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $1,500,000 to the Department of Health for response and enforcement activities relating to the petroleum leaks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3124, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3124, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair