STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3152

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1892

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1892, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CESSPOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require certain priority level 1 cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected before an unspecified date;

(2) Require priority level 2 cesspools to be upgraded, converted, or connected before an unspecified date;

(3) Authorize and appropriate an unspecified amount of funds from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to the Department of Health to retain qualified consultants as necessary to:

(A) Identify necessary public outreach and education resources and tools; and

(B) Develop a comprehensive public outreach strategy and website to serve as a statewide clearinghouse for information and resources for homeowners and wastewater industry professionals related to cesspool upgrade, conversion, and connection; and

(4) Appropriate an unspecified amount of funds to the Department of Health to:

(A) Implement the Cesspool Compliance Pilot Grant Project established pursuant to Act 153, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022; and

(B) Establish an unspecified number of full-time equivalent positions to implement the Cesspool Compliance Pilot Grant Project and perform other cesspool conversion-related work.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program; University of Hawaiʻi Water Resources Research Center; one member of the Kauaʻi County Council; County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management; Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations LLC; Surfrider Foundation, Hawaiʻi Region; Puakō for Reefs; Indivisible Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Reef and Ocean Coalition; Fair Wind Cruises; Public Access to SunScreens Coalition; and seventeen individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Hawaiʻi Association of REALTORS.

Your Committees find that the Cesspool Conversion Working Group established pursuant to Act 132, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, was convened to facilitate the upgrade or conversion of cesspools on properties within priority upgrade areas to more environmentally-responsible waste treatment systems or the connection of these cesspools to sewer systems before 2050. This measure implements various recommendations of the Cesspool Conversion Working Group.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Environment and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1892, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1892, 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 Health and Human Services,

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair