STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2051

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.C.R. No. 111

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 111 entitled:

"SENATE 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 acknowledge that climate change poses a dire threat to public health, declare a public health emergency in the State, and request entities statewide to actively examine how the climate considerations within their departments impact human health and coordinate with other departments to identify, plan for, and create cross-sector solutions to strengthen Hawaii's public health response to the climate crisis.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaii Climate Change and Health Working Group; 350Hawaii.org; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Coalition Earth; and eight individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Wahine o Kohala and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that climate change adversely impacts human health through increased heat, vector-borne diseases, crop failure, food and water insecurity, and air pollution. Your Committee further finds that the State's response to the climate crisis must involve efforts to address impacts on public health. This measure helps acknowledge the threat that climate change poses to public health and encourages a statewide, coordinated effort to develop a public health response to climate change.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 111 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Health.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair