STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1880

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.C.R. No. 188

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 Health, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 188 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REQUESTING STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, AND CREATE CROSS-SECTOR SOLUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN HAWAII'S PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to declare a public health emergency relating to climate change and requesting statewide coordination to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to climate crisis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Life of the Land; Climate Protectors Hawaii; Health Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Public Health Association; Coalition Earth; 350Hawaii.org; Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that the effects of climate change, such as increased heat, crop failures, food and water insecurity, extreme weather events, vector-borne and waterborne diseases, seriously impact public health and constitute a public health emergency. Your Committee further finds that addressing the impacts of climate change on public health will require a multi-disciplinary approach and statewide coordination, commitment, and mobilization of resources between departments. This measure acknowledges the severity of the impacts climate change has on the health of Hawaii's people and calls on the various state departments to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen the State's public health response to the climate crisis.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 188, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 188, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair