STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1553
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.C.R. No. 205
S.D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 205 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ADOPT RULES ESTABLISHING A MAXIMUM DECIBEL LEVEL FOR CONCERTS OR EVENTS AT PRIVATE VENUES GENERATING NOISE IN PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to adopt rules establishing maximum decibel level for concerts or events at private venues generating noise in primarily residential areas.
Your Committee finds that noise pollution is a public health hazard that continues to negatively affect residents of the State, leading to health problems such as noise-induced hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress. Your Committee further finds that concerts or events held at private venues are currently not subject to permitting requirements. Accordingly, this measure supports public health by requesting the Department of Health to adopt rules to reduce excessive noise pollution from concerts or events held at private venues.
Your
Committee notes the concern raised in testimony regarding the complexity of
regulating noise pollution due to overlapping jurisdictions among the
Department of Health, county law enforcement agencies, and county code
compliance programs, depending on the noise source and circumstances. Your Committee acknowledges that requesting
the Department of Health to adopt rules without conducting due diligence into
the specific issues of noise pollution regulation and overlapping jurisdictions
is likely to have significant negative unintended consequences. Therefore, there is a need to amend this
measure to address this concern.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Requesting
the Department of Health to convene a Community
Noise Working Group to discuss policies and legislation with respect to noise
sources affecting the community, rather than adopt rules establishing a maximum decibel level for concerts or
events at private venues generating noise in primarily residential areas;
(2) Inserting language requesting the Community Noise Working Group to include the Director of Health or the Director's designee as chair of the working group, other stakeholders from the State and City and County of Honolulu, and a noise expert;
(3) Inserting
language to request the Community Noise Working Group to submit a report
of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the
Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session
of 2027;
(4) Amending
its title accordingly; and
(5) Making
technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and
consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 205, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 205, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,
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________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair |
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