STAND. COM. REP. NO.  885

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

 

RE:   H.B. No. 750

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

 

Madame:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 750, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Clarify the authorized uses of the Deposit Beverage Container Deposit Special Fund to include evaluating and promoting recyclable market development activities;

 

     (2)  Require and appropriate funds for the Department of Health to conduct a statewide needs assessment and establish an advisory council with relevant stakeholders to determine what would be needed to transition to a more circular system with less waste generation and more reuse, and the necessary infrastructure to sort and locally process recyclable materials through an extended producer responsibility program for packaging materials and paper products; and

 

     (3)  Require the Department of Health to hold a public hearing on the draft needs assessment and submit the needs assessment to the Legislature by December 31, 2028.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Just Zero; Hawai‘i Reef and Ocean Coalition; Climate Protectors Hawai‘i; Hawaiʻi Climate Change and Health Working Group; Recycle Hawaii; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and numerous individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health; Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission; one member of the Kaua‘i County Council; and Hawaii Food Industry Association.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 750, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair