STAND. COM. REP. NO. 320-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1900

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water & Land, to which was referred H.B. No. 1900 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HYDROLOGIC DATA COLLECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure to improve the State's understanding of the complex hydrologic systems in Hawaii and provide additional resources for the Hawaii mesonet.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that there is a significant need for increased and improved hydrologic data collection across the State. Recent studies have shown that in Hawaii, annual rainfall has declined since the late 1980s and air temperatures have increased since the 1950s. These trends affect the availability of water as well as the demand for water in the future. The continuation and expansion of hydrologic monitoring are necessary to advance the State's monitoring of the impacts of climate change and to better manage the ground and surface waters across the Hawaiian Islands.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $475,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025, which includes $125,000 for stream gauges, $250,000 for operations and maintenance, and $100,000 for monitoring wells.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1900, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1900, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,

____________________________

LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair