STAND. COM. REP. NO. 405

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1109

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1109 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the definition of "finding of no significant impact", for purposes of environmental impact statements, and replace it with "finding of completion of environmental disclosure process".

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee finds that the purpose of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements are to disclose information to the public. Your Committee further finds that the role of an agency accepting a proposed project is to determine whether an environmental assessment of the project meets the technical standards for completeness under Hawaii's environmental impact statements law and related administrative rules, and, should the assessment meet those technical standards, process the document by issuing a finding of no significant impact to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, so that a more detailed and comprehensive environmental impact statement is not required. Therefore, the issuance of a finding of no significant impact does not accurately reflect an agency's position of whether a proposed project would have a significant effect on the environment. This measure therefore seeks to provide clarity to the environmental review process.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1109 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair