STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1263
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: S.B. No. 657
S.D. 1
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 Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 657, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CENTER FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Health; School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency of the City and County of Honolulu; Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board No. 34; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Coalition Earth; Hawaiʻi Farmers Union; and five individuals.
Your Committee finds that there is a lack of climate resilient development capacity in the State. Your Committee further finds that the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has a proven expertise in climate modeling, and many state laws and policies, such as mandatory disclosures in real estate transactions of residential real property lying within a sea level rise exposure area, depend on the data collected and modeled by SOEST. However, funding for SOEST is largely through federal grants, which can be subject to the influence of changing national priorities. Your Committee believes that investing directly in scientific resources by establishing a Center for Climate Resilient Development will ensure important climate science data is preserved and that SOEST's important research activities will continue.
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.
Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $3,000,000.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water & Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 657, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 657, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Higher Education.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water & Land,
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____________________________ MARK J. HASHEM, Chair |