STAND. COM. REP. NO. 569

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1267

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1267 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Transfer the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development for administrative purposes;

(2) Remove the manager of the Coastal Zone Management Program from the Commission; and

(3) Add a representative from the University of Hawaii to the Commission.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committees find that there is a need for a coordinated statewide effort through the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to enhance resilience to climate change impacts, including sea level rise, coastal erosion, drought, wildfires, and biodiversity loss. Your Committees further find that the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, rather than the Department of Land and Natural Resources, is best equipped to effectively administer the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission. Accordingly, this measure transfers the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development for administrative purposes.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1267, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1267, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair