STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2379

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2495

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 Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2495 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER METERING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Exempt from acreage assessments land occupiers who have not applied for water service for the following year; and

(2) Require the Board of Agriculture to amend certain administrative rules governing irrigation water service to consumers of the State by an unspecified date.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Agricultural and Food Security Committee of the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.

Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

Your Committees find that there are serious concerns that former irrigation system users continue to be assessed water toll charges and acreage assessments when they have not used any water from an irrigation system. This measure aims to ensure that former irrigation system users, who have weir, water meter, or water flow measuring instruments that are removed by the Department of Agriculture, are not charged for the use of water, but also prevent erroneous water toll charges and acreage assessments.

According to testimony received by your Committees, the proposed new language amended in section 1 of this measure is inconsistent with the water service application process.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the proposed new language in section 1 of this measure and replacing it with language that requires the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture or their designee to annually notify all irrigation users by mail and conduct in-person visits on procedures to remove unused irrigation system water meters and stop acreage assessments; and

(2) 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 Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2495, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2495, 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 Water and Land,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair