STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3338
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.B. No. 1688
H.D. 2
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The
purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Require the Department of Health to:
(A) Conduct a statewide needs assessment to determine what would be needed to transition to a more circular system with less waste generation, more reuse, and an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products;
(B) Convene an advisory council to review the draft needs assessment and propose recommendations throughout the assessment process;
(C) Hold a public hearing to obtain comments on a draft needs assessment plan; and
(D) Complete and submit the needs assessment, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature by December 31, 2026; and
(2) Appropriate an unspecified amount of funds for
the Department of Health to conduct the statewide needs assessment to inform
the future establishment of an extended producer responsibility program.
Your Committees
received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Climate Change
Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Kauai Climate Action Coalition,
Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, Product
Stewardship Institute, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Just Zero, Hawaiʻi Reef and
Ocean Coalition, Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi,
Citizens' Climate Lobby Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Environmental Change
Agents Solid Waste Reduction Task Force, Zero Waste Hawaiʻi Island,
and twelve individuals.
Your Committees
received testimony in opposition to this measure from Recycle Hawaii, Clean the
Pacific, and five individuals.
Your Committees
received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Chamber of
Sustainable Commerce, and American Beverage Association.
Your Committees find
that most packaging waste in the State is handled in a linear manner and that,
under current practices, solid waste may soon exceed landfill capacity in all
counties. Your Committees further find
that additional resources, facilities, and services will be needed to address
this issue. According to testimony
received by your Committees, the needs assessment required in this measure is
the first step to implementing an effective extender producer responsibility
program to reuse and refill packaging materials, divert organic materials, and
recycle paper waste.
Your Committees have
amended this measure by:
(1) Extending
the deadline for the Department of Health to complete and submit the needs
assessment to the Legislature from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2027;
(2) Inserting an appropriation amount of
$1,000,000; and
(3) 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 Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1688, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Commerce and Consumer Protection,
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________________________________ JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair |
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________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair |
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