STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 96
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.B. No. 470
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 470 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NOISE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Increase penalties for violations of leaf blower and weed whacker restrictions;
(2) Repeal the exemption for government agencies from leaf blower and weed whacker restrictions; and
(3) Beginning July 1, 2028, prohibit the sale of leaf blowers, string trimmers, and weed whackers rated by their manufacturers at greater than sixty-five weighted decibels when measured at a distance of fifty feet.
Your Committee finds that certain leaf blowers, string trimmers, and weed whackers operate at high measures of weighted decibels, creating a nuisance for those in the vicinity and potentially causing hearing damage through prolonged exposure. Your Committee believes that this measure will address this issue by increasing penalties for violations of leaf blower and weed whacker restrictions, repealing certain exemptions to these restrictions, and prohibiting the sale of certain leaf blowers, string trimmers, and weed whackers.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 470, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 470, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,
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____________________________ NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair |
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